A democratic bearing: Admirable citizens, uneven injustice, and critical theory

Abstract

Critical theory is needed in the world today. As populists gain support across Western societies, and the disenchanted turn against scapegoated 'others' to voice their frustration, the future of democracy is at stake. Stephen K. White gives us a powerful account of the dynamics that explain movements such as Tea Party and Trump supporters in the US and Brexiteers in the UK, but also a vision of how a new 'democratic bearing'—an ethics of deep concern for human dignity from which springs an orientation towards democracy and inclusivity–might take hold of these societies once again. Revisiting as well as revising Habermas' theory of communicative action, he rescues traditional Frankfurt School critical theory from a place of abstractness and impenetrability to turn it into nothing less than a way out of the most pressing political crisis of today.