Date of Award
9-1989
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Political Science
Supervisor
Marshall Goldstein
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Ketchen, James Christopher, "Jurgen Habermas' Conception of Legitimation Crisis" (1989). Open Access Dissertations and Theses. Paper 5959.
http://digitalcommons.mcmaster.ca/opendissertations/5959
McMaster University Library
Comments
The purpose of this thesis is two fold. First of all it demonstrates clearly and precisely exactly what Jurgen Habermas understands by a legitimation crisis and secondly it demonstrates how fundamentally this conception rests upon background assumptions which are not always made explicit. To this end the thesis delves into Habermas' understanding of advanced capitalism, his understanding of the concept of rational-legal legitimacy and finally it shows how the conclusions he reaches are fundamentally based upon his reconstruction of historical materialism and the notion of a colonization of the life-world that he ultimately derives from this reconstruction. In the end it will be demonstrated that a thorough understanding of the concept of legitimation crisis cannot be achieved without reference to Habermas' reconstruction project and in this regard he remains firmly in the Marxist tradition.