This major work retraces the emergence and development of the Bourgeois public sphere - that is, a sphere which was distinct from the state and in which citizens could discuss issues of general interest. In analysing the historical transformations of this sphere, Habermas recovers a concept which is of crucial significance for current debates in social and political theory. Habermas focuses on…
This concise and lucid supplementary text guides students through discussions of reason, religion, power, crime, and love, demonstrating that sociology offers striking and "nonobvious" insights that deepen our understanding of society. By highlighting unusual and unexpected conclusions this lively book dramatizes the significance of sociological analysis for those new to its study.