Debating Critical Theory

Axel Honneth is widely credited with being one of the most important contemporary critical theorists. His oeuvre which spans more than four decades of writing—from his early engagement with critique in the Frankfurt School tradition to his theory of recognition and the latest discussions of freedom in modern ethical life and the question of socialism—has been enormously influential in the shaping of current critical theory and beyond. This volume takes the central themes of Honneth’s work as a starting point for debating the present and future of critical theory as a form of socially grounded philosophy that is geared towards analyzing and critiquing society. The volume brings together leading scholars in contemporary social and political philosophy.

Honneth’s writings revolve around five key themes: critique, recognition, freedom, progress and socialism. His arguments with respect to each of these themes have substantially advanced current debates in critical theory and social and political philosophy more generally. The contributing authors take on these five themes and use them as a springboard to structure their discussion of the future of critical theory in our contemporary moment.