Translated by William Rehg.
Most people concede that liberalism has fallen on hard times.
Even though modern political philosophy finds its basis in a liberal paradigm, that paradigm has begun to fade. Indeed, many of those who consider themselves part of the classical liberal tradition have begun to take seriously criticism of the tradition offered by modern communitarians, classical republicans, and traditional conservatives. Habermas, who has had a long and controversial career as postwar Germany s most prominent public intellectual, has produced a most ambitious and comprehensive work. At the heart of the book is a reconsideration of the relation between the philosophy of law and political theory. Law, Habermas says, is the primary medium of social integration in modern society.