Does a global economy render the traditional nation-state obsolete? Does globalization threaten democratic life, or offer it new forms of expression? What are the implications of globalization for our understanding of politics and of national and cultural identities?
In The Postnational Constellation, the leading German philosopher and social theorist J?rgen Habermas addresses these and other questions. He explores topics such as the historical and political origins of national identity, the catastrophes and achievements of "the long twentieth century," the future of democracy in the wake of the era of the nation-state, the moral and political challenges facing the European Union, and the status of global human rights in the ongoing debate on the sources of cultural identity. In their scope, critical insight, and argumentative clarity, the essays inThe Postnational Constellation present a powerful vision of the contemporary political scene and of the challenges and opportunities we face in the new millennium.
Those unfamiliar with Habermas's theoretical work will find in this volume a lucid and engaging introduction to one of the world's most influential thinkers. For readers familiar with Habermas's writings,The Postnational Constellation provides an invaluable application of his social and political theories to current political realities.
Editor's Introduction.
Foreword.
What is a People? The Frankfurt "Germanists' Assembly" of 1846 and the Self-Understanding of the Humanities in theVorm?rz.
On the Public Use of History.
Learning from Catastrophe? A Look Back at the Short Twentieth Century.
The Postnational Constellation and the Future of Democracy.
Remarks on Legitimation through Human Rights.
Conceptions of Modernity: A Look Back at Two Traditions.
The Differing Rhythms of Philosophy and Politics: Herbert Marcuse at 100.
An Argument against Cloning: Three Replies.
Notes.
Index
