Rationale Rekonstruktion als Methode politischer Theorie zwischen Gesellschaftskritik und empirischer Politikwissenschaft

Abstract

Current political theory applies the concept of reconstruction almost exclusively to methods of critique. Given this focus it is often overlooked that the concept of reconstruction also has important methodological implications regarding the empirical analysis of politics. This imbalance particularly applies to how Jürgen Habermas' discourse theory of democracy has been perceived in political theory. The aim of the article is twofold. Firstly, it offers an interpretation of discourse theory as a contribution to a "reconstructive sociology of democracy" that goes beyond the mere purpose of critique. Secondly, it seeks to illustrate the added value of Habermas' method of rational reconstruction to the empirical analysis of politics.

Hauke Brunkhorst’s Critical Theory of Legal Revolutions

“…The theory of communicative action ultimately ascribes the final irreducibility of the normative contents, which are embodied in social facts themselves to the idealizing content of the general and unavoidably pragmatic preconditions of consensus-oriented speech acts, whose role is to coordinate action. On this, compare the argument in Gaus (2013). 9.…”

“…The rational re-enactment and reconstruction of learning processes from the participant's perspective do not diminish the objectivity of description. On this, compare Gaus (2013). 10.…”

“…8 Socioevolutionary caesuras, which can be traced equally to cognitive and to sociocognitive and moral learning processes, can be identified with thresholds in the progressive differentiation between the three components of the lifeworld, whilst the components themselves become increasingly reflexive: 9 the trend towards critical examination renders cultural traditions discursively fluid, while science and technology, law and morality, art and aesthetic criticism are differentiated at the same time from one another and from encompassing religious or metaphysical world views and constraining ritual practices; the trend towards the generalization of values gives way to the universalization of norms and principles; of consensus-oriented speech acts, whose role is to coordinate action. On this, compare the argument in Gaus (2013). 9.…”

Dos aproximaciones a la racionalidad comunicativa: analizando la deliberación democrática y los procesos de aprendizaje colectivo

“…Be that as it may, what is common to the work of many political theorists, though by no means all of them (e.g. Gaus, 2013), is that they seek to establish a normative ideal that prescribes how actual deliberation should be (for recent reviews of the literature in this area, see Bächtiger et al, 2010 andSteiner, 2012).…”

Suprastaatliche Verfassungspolitik und die Methode der rationalen Rekonstruktion

“…Diese theoretische Konstruktion ergibt sich nach Habermas' (2011: 61, Hervorhebung (Besson 2009;Patberg 2013). Zum anderen stellt es diejenigen vor eine neue Herausforderung, die sich im Rahmen einer methodischen Debatte damit befassen, wie Habermas' Begriff der rationalen Rekonstruktion zu verstehen ist und welches Potenzial Rekonstruktion als Methode der Politischen Theorie besitzt (Pedersen 2008;Gaus 2013). Die Beiläufigkeit, mit der Habermas bemerkt, seine legitimitätstheoretische Figur ergebe sich aus der Sicht eines rational rekonstruierten Konstitutionsprozesses, legt nahe, es sei relativ klar, was man unter einer rationalen Rekonstruktion zu verstehen habe.…”