Critique, Norm, and Utopia: A Study of the Foundations of Critical Theory Book

Displaying an impressive command of complex materials, Seyla Benhabib reconstructs the history of theories from a systematic point of view and examines the origins and transformations of the concept of critique from the works of Hegel to Habermas. Through investigating the model of the philosophy of the subject, she pursues the question of how Hegel's critiques might be useful for reforumulating the foundations of critical social theory.

American Political Science Review

Useful because of its clear and penetrating discussions of the central philosophical tensions and shifts that have emerged from Hegel to Habermas. . . . this book really distinguishes itself in its incisive discussions of the nature of action and of ways to make communicative ethics more defensible. . . Benhabib gives anyone interested in communicative ethics and politics fresh ideas on how, with Habermas, we can think beyond the philosophy of the subject.