Technological Progress in Light of Habermas’ Discourse Ethics

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to thoroughly research Habermas’ view of technology with regard to his discourse ethics. In the first part of the article, Habermas’ theoretical starting points concerning the question of technology are presented. In the next segment, findings are presented, which can be traced mainly in an indirect way from Habermas’ discussions on media theory and from his theory of the colonization of the lifeworld. In the next step, Habermas’ relation to the phenomenon of mass media is addressed. The mass media are understood as a concrete expression of modern progress and are closely linked to technological development. In the last part of the article, Habermas’ relation to the internet is presented. The internet is widely considered an alternative to the mass media in modern times. The article presents a holistic analysis of Habermas’ relation to technology. It also presents some interesting findings regarding Habermas’ positioning towards the mass media and the internet.

Keywords

• ürgen habermas
• technological progress
• public sphere
• discourse ethics
• mass media
• the internet.