Modernity and communicative reflection

1
Modernity and communicative reflection

• Bo Elling
• associate professor, Department of Environment,
  Technology and Social Studies, Roskilde
  University, Denmark

2
Type of action Criteria for
validity    Teleological action
(science) (strategic)   - cognitive-instrumental
action efficiency    Normregulated action
(moral)   - moral-practical rationality right    
Dramaturgically action (art)   - aesthetic
expressive rationality truthfulness    Communicat
ive action   -         communicative rationality
truth, right, truthful (cognitive, moral,
aesthetic)
3
Beck - new epoch with reflexive
modernization - reflexivity is problematic -
individual reflexivity rational choice
interpretation     Giddens - high modernity or
late modernity - reflexivity is problematic -
individual reflexivity rational choice
interpretation     Mol - institutional
reflexivity - reflexivity is something good -
solution - excludes the purposive institutional
reduction of reflexivity     Hajer -
institutional reflexivity - reflexivity is
something good solution - choose the right form
of reflexivity - no concept of rationality
4
-        full information
    -        scientific knowledge     -       
the public shall have information - public
participation shall be improved     -      
  proposals, with bought down effects easier to
legitimate
5
-        defined systemically   -        the
process oriented towards results -        the
knowledge exclusively scientific   -       
rationality exclusively cognitive-instrumental   -
        ruled by experts   -        public
available for information  
6

• Teleontological optimising of
  environmental care
•  
•          - defined objectives
•  
•          - alternatives that implement the
  objectives with optimal -
  environmental care
•  
•          - the environment becomes a mean
•  
•          - goal-directed

7
Deontological optimising of environmental
care       -      objectives and means are free
to be chosen   -      alternatives that optimise
environmental care decide the means   -      the
environment becomes values to be
protected   -      seeking or homing for
objectives
8

• Requirement for the participants (examples)
•  
• -    communicate
• -    truthful statements
• -    oriented towards validity claims
• -    justify their arguments
• -    willing to leave individual perspectives
• -    accept overruling of better arguments
•  
•            
• Principles for priorities in discourses
•  
• -    dialogic over monologue
• -    rational consensus over rational compromise
• -    tolerance over intolerance
• -    knowledge over meaning, attitude or belief
• -    universal over particular

9
Developer -        maximum profit as
the goal -        arguing result-orientated -     
   use experts systemically as a
cognitive-instrumental action -        institution
al or systemic reflexivity
10

• Administration
• -        maximum legitimacy as the goal
• -        arguing result-orientated
• -        use experts systemically as a
  cognitive-instrumental action
• -        institutional or systemic reflexivity
• -        have to make assessments using
  reflexive arrangements ad hoc

11
Citizens   -        oriented towards
understanding goals as well as means -   use of
experts socially as a communicative rational
action -   social reflexivity