On the Pragmatics of Communication

This volume brings together Habermas's key writings on language andcommunication. Including some classic texts as well as new materialwhich is published here for the first time, this book is a detailedand up-to-date introduction to Habermas's formal pragmatics, whichis a vital aspect of his social theory.

Written from 1976 to 1996, the essays show the extent to whichformal pragmatics underpins Habermas's theory of communicativeaction. They are presented in chronological order, so that thereader can trace developments and revisions in Habermas's thought.
The volume includes a critical discussion of Searle's theory ofmeaning, and Richard Rorty's neopragmatism. It concludes withHabermas's recent defence of his theory of communicative action, inwhich he reaffirms his view that interpretative understandinginescapably involves evaluation.

This book will be an indispensable text for students andacademics who want a clear and accessible introduction to thedevelopment of Habermas's theory of communication and its relationto his broader social and political theory.