Polity Disrespect: The Normative Foundations of Critical Theory

Over the last decade, Axel Honneth has established himself as one of the leading social and political philosophers in the world today. Rooted in the tradition of critical theory, his writings have been central to the revitalization of critical theory and have become increasingly influential. His theory of recognition has gained worldwide attention and is seen by some as the principal counterpart to Habermass theory of discourse ethics. In this important new volume, Honneth pursues his path-breaking work on recognition by exploring the moral experiences of disrespect that underpin the conduct of social and political critique. What we might conceive of as a striving for social recognition initially appears in a negative form as the experience of humiliation or disrespect. Honneth argues that disrespect constitutes the systematic key to a comprehensive theory of recognition that seeks to clarify the sense in which institutionalized patterns of social recognition generate justified demands on the way subjects treat each other.This new book by one of the leading social and political philosophers of our time will be of particular interest to students and scholars in social and political theory and philosophy. Review “For the past few decades Axel Honneth has been developing and defending the concept of recognition as the groundwork for a critical theory of society. In this collection of articles he extends his analysis of recognition in order to show how this informs social philosophy, moral theory, and political philosophy. Honneth has a knack for situating fundamental issues in historical perspective, outlining alternative strategies for dealing with them, and breaking new ground. This superb collection of essays is essential for anyone interested in recent developments in the scope and normative foundations of critical social theory.” Richard J. Bernstein, New School for Social Research “This belated translation makes patent what many of us have suspected for a long time: Axel Honneth’s recognition theory constitutes one of the most ambitious philosophical undertakings of our time. These sparkling essays work out its implications for major issues in social philosophy, moral philosophy, and political philosophy.” Nancy Fraser, New School for Social Research From the Inside Flap Over the last decade, Axel Honneth has established himself as one of the leading social and political philosophers in the world today. Rooted in the tradition of critical theory, his writings have been central to the revitalization of critical theory and have become increasingly influential. His theory of recognition has gained worldwide attention and is seen by some as the principal counterpart to Habermass theory of discourse ethics. In this important new volume, Honneth pursues his path-breaking work on recognition by exploring the moral experiences of disrespect that underpin the conduct of social and political critique. What we might conceive of as a striving for social recognition initially appears in a negative form as the experience of humiliation or disrespect. Honneth argues that disrespect constitutes the systematic key to a comprehensive theory of recognition that seeks to clarify the sense in which institutionalized patterns of social recognition generate justified demands on the way subjects treat each other.This new book by one of the leading social and political philosophers of our time will be of particular interest to students and scholars in social and political theory and philosophy. From the Back Cover Over the last decade, Axel Honneth has established himself as one of the leading social and political philosophers in the world today. Rooted in the tradition of critical theory, his writings have been central to the revitalization of critical theory and have become increasingly influential. His theory of recognition has gained worldwide attention and is seen by some as the principal