The theory of communicative action and the idea of a post-secular society by Habermas: critical interpretation in the Chinese version of neo-Marxism
Keywords:
J. Habermas, communicative action, public sphere, deliberative democracy, secularisation, post-secular society, neo-Marxism, Chinese version of neo-MarxismAbstract
The article explicates the fundamental tenets of Habermas’ theory of communicative action, emphasising its organic alignment with his ideas on the role of the political public sphere in the development of democratic foundations and institutions in Western societies. It notes that Habermas’ idea of a post-secular society may offer a promising way out of the impasses of radically secularised societies. The article explores the socially constructive, ideologically engaged, and utopian aspects of the ideas and concepts of communicative rationality, deliberative democracy, and post-secular society. It also examines the modernisation practices of contemporary China, its characteristic technologies of social governance, and the spiritual traditions of the interpenetration of secular and religious components in the cultural life.
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