Freedom's Right: The Social Foundations Of Democratic Life (New Directions In Critical Theory, 13)

Theories of justice often fixate on purely normative, abstract principles unrelated to real-world situations. The philosopher and theorist Axel Honneth addresses this disconnect, and constructs a theory of justice derived from the normative claims of Western liberal-democratic societies and anchored in morally legitimate laws and institutionally established practices. Honneth's paradigm--which he terms "a democratic ethical life"--draws on the spirit of Hegel's Philosophy of Right and his own theory of recognition, demonstrating how concrete social spheres generate the tenets of individual freedom and a standard for what is just. Using social analysis to re-found a more grounded theory of justice, he argues that all crucial actions in Western civilization, whether in personal relationships, market-induced economic activities, or the public forum of politics, share one defining characteristic: they require the realization of a particular aspect of individual freedom. This fundamental truth informs the guiding principles of justice, enabling a wide-ranging reconsideration of its nature and application.

• | Author: Axel Honneth
• | Publisher: Columbia University Press
• | Publication Date: Dec 15, 2015
• | Number of Pages: 448 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Paperback
• | ISBN-10: 0231162472
• | ISBN-13: 9780231162470