Discussion of Modernism:

1.  Habermas is a critical theorist whose major achievement is the theory of communicative reason, or the  demonstration of how rationality is rooted in interpersonal linguistic communication.  In other words, speech acts (intentional utterances) aim at mutual understanding and people speak to one another in order to convey meaning.  Habermas believes this is the basis of the human potential for reason.  We could say that this is why dialogue is so important in the classroom.  All students need to clarify meaning in order to learn and therefore develop as human beings.  Do you think it is safe to say that teaching with a view towards clarity is the first consideration in imparting curriculum?

2.  Habermas believes what transpires between individuals also occurs on the level of society.  Because a school is representative of society, it serves our purpose to test Habermas's theory.  When the school as a population comes to a consensus, the atmosphere in the school undergoes change and energy surges in a new direction, especially when change is seen as necessary.  For example, school vending machines were allowed in buildings because they were seen as a positive way to supplement the budget for sports equipment or library books.  The population in the school began to notice over time that an increasing number of students were using the vending machines for snacks, then that more students were relying on food from the machines for lunches, then breakfasts, etc.  Now with the media paying attention and teachers discussing newspaper findings with their students, the vending machines are perceived as a negative element in the school in terms of students' health.  The society of the school seems to be moving in the direction of eliminating the machines or replacing the high fat and sugar content of the food with healthier choices.  Habermas states that this is the pattern throughout history -- that members of a society communicate individually but ideas fan out through the group until collective decisions are made that will ultimately help that society enter a new stage of evolution.  Knowing this, do you think teachers, students or administrators can introduce new ideas with the purpose of changing group thinking?  Can it be manipulated?  Does this happen all the time in our society?

3. Habermas has integrated large areas of varied disciplines, such as linguistics, psychology, sociology, philosophy, politics, anthropology and economics to attempt to put together a comprehensive view of society.   Critical theory's goal is to construct a social theory that will advance human emancipation while being inclusive of a universalistic moral framework.  Some thinkers have criticized Habermas's huge project as an attempt at avoiding "the end of philosophy" by incorporating more disciplines into it.  And yet, isn't it just another example of creating an overarching system?  What should we take from theory?