The Formation of Jurgen Habermas's Theory of Communicative Action

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to provide a historical-philosophical reconstruction of the evolution of critical theory from pessimism regarding the "culture industry" (M. Horkheimer, T. Adorno) to communicative optimism (J. Habermas). The article analyzes the transformation of the public sphere and the potential for emancipation in the context of the "linguistic turn."

The methodology of historical-philosophical reconstruction is of a complex nature. It combines the dialectical approach and hermeneutics of J. Habermas’s works, particularly The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere. The comparative-historical method is used to juxtapose the Western experience of conceptualizing civil society formation with the reflection of post-Soviet transformations (I. Galiera). Empirical verification of the evolution of critical theory is conducted based on monumental art and scientific collections, drawing on the analysis of L. Bachynska and the research of D. Kellner.

Results. J. Habermas’s communicative theory evolution represents a paradigm shift from subject-centered reason to intersubjectivity. Unlike T. Adorno, J. Habermas views language as embodying the ideal of mutual understanding. The categories of "System" and "Lifeworld" are used to diagnose the pathology of modernity as the colonization of the lifeworld by the imperatives of money and power, which distorts communication.

The violation of the validity claims of speech acts leads to distorted communication. According to L. Bachynska, Soviet mosaics of the 1960s–1980s served as an ideological monologue of the Communist Party’s power. In contrast, contemporary libraries and muralism are interpreted as attempts to restore the infrastructure of rational-critical discussion.

The "refeudalization" of the public sphere is manifested in the shift towards consumerist domination. Drawing on N. Romanenkova and A. Bratus, a tension was revealed between system integration (the art market) and the autonomy of art, which maintains the risks of subordination to market logic.

Conclusions. Habermas's communicative paradigm overcomes the pessimism of the first generation of the Frankfurt School. The lifeworld remains a resource for resistance against the colonization of the lifeworld, while the search for consensus serves as an alternative to instrumental rationality. The future of the Project of Modernity depends on the capacity of institutions to ensure the free public use of reason.