The Postnational Constellation

Does a global economy render the traditional nation-state obsolete?
Does globalization threaten democratic life, or offer it new formsof expression? What are the implications of globalization for ourunderstanding of politics and of national and cultural identities?

In The Postnational Constellation, the leading Germanphilosopher and social theorist J?rgen Habermas addresses these andother questions. He explores topics such as the historical andpolitical origins of national identity, the catastrophes andachievements of "the long twentieth century," the future ofdemocracy in the wake of the era of the nation-state, the moral andpolitical challenges facing the European Union, and the status ofglobal human rights in the ongoing debate on the sources ofcultural identity. In their scope, critical insight, andargumentative clarity, the essays in The PostnationalConstellation present a powerful vision of the contemporarypolitical scene and of the challenges and opportunities we face inthe new millennium.

Those unfamiliar with Habermas's theoretical work will find in thisvolume a lucid and engaging introduction to one of the world's mostinfluential thinkers. For readers familiar with Habermas'swritings, The Postnational Constellation provides aninvaluable application of his social and political theories tocurrent political realities.