Critical Encounters: Between Philosophy and Politics

Dallmayr's perspective is delivered not as direct exposition, but through a series of critical encounters with some of the leading spokesmen of contemporary thought. His path points in the direction of a political theory construed as "practical ontology" or a pragmatism with ontological overtones. Dallmayr presupposes that such a renewed ontology can be articulated as only a strand in a larger conversational fabric. Against this weave he profiles his critical responses and engaging dialogues.

Among the voices to which Dallmayr responds are: Apel's linguistic foundationalism; Habermas's bifurcation of instrumental system and life-world; Ricoeur's phenomenological antinomies; Gadamer's lingering hermeneutical idealism; Derrida's preference for nihilation of being; Bernstein's Deweyan pragmatism; and Macintyre's pragmatic traditionalism. Among contemporary social and political theorists attention is given to Giddens, Luhmann, and Theunissen.