Date: 	Thu, 26 Mar 1998 10:32:14 -0500
Subject: Re: HAB: Communicative Communism


On Wed, 25 Mar 1998 20:37:54 -0500 Philip Ryan wrote:

> Kenneth writes:
> > 
> > I was reading Castoriadis's _The Imaginary Institution of 
> > Society_ and came across an interesting passage in his 
> > chapter on communism and the mythic:
> > 
> ...
> 
> > 	No society will ever be totally transparent
> ...
> > 
> > I wonder if this insight could be applied to Habermas's 
> > understanding of speech... which *could* be interpreted as 
> > communicative communism.... (I am aware of some subtle 
> > differences but there seems to be some weight to this kind 
of critique).

> Ken:
> When Habermas states that

> "I do not regard the fully transparent society as an ideal"
> ["Reply to my critics" 235]

> do you find his denial credible?

> Phil Ryan
> Ottawa

Yes and no.  The ideal is always already operative in 
Habermas's understanding of communicative action - even if it 
isn't an ideal to be actualized.

ken




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