From substantive to negative universalism : Lefort and Habermas on legitimacy in democratic societies
(2012) Thesis Eleven : critical theory and historical sociology — Vol. 108, n° 1, p. 26-43 (2012)
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- Authors
Weymans, Wim 
- Abstract
- This article shows how Jürgen Habermas and Claude Lefort try to explain the relationship between universality and particularity in modern democratic societies, politics and civil society. It will demonstrate that Habermas defends a substantive kind of universality that is opposed to particular positions and thus to real politics. This article further argues that Lefort’s lesser known theory of negative universality is better at combining a universal and a particular perspective. It claims that where Habermas requires citizens to transform their particular interests, Lefort emphasizes that individual actors should acknowledge their particular position and interests when invoking universal principles. The article further argues that their disagreement leads to a different interpretation of ideology, politics, power, civil society, human rights, popular sovereignty, elections and the state.
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Citations
Weymans, W., & Hetzel, A. (2012). From substantive to negative universalism : Lefort and Habermas on legitimacy in democratic societies. Thesis Eleven : critical theory and historical sociology, 108(1), 26-43. https://doi.org/10.1177/0725513611421480 (Original work published 2012)