... helps critical social theory engage with phenomena such as meaninglessness, isolation, and indifference. By severing alienation's link to a problematic conception of human essence while retaining its social-philosophical content, the book provides resources for a renewed critique of social pathologies...

... with French social philosophy, the question of instrumental reason, the reformulation of the Habermasian theory of the public, and his idea of developing a tradition of social philosophy concerned with distinguishing social pathologies. Axel Honneth Critical Theory Jurgen Habermas theory of society theory...