ABSTRACT
For the purposes of this chapter, “discourse theory” refers to two broad trends in socialpolitical thought, distinguished by their opposing philosophical commitments. The postmodern discourse theory of thinkers such as Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe draws on poststructuralist and Marxist thought, emphasizes the role of power and contest in politics, and tends to be skeptical of consensus-oriented views of democratic deliberation. The rationalist discourse theory of Jürgen Habermas, Karl-Otto Apel, and other deliberative democratic theorists, by contrast, links classical modern political philosophy with the American pragmatist tradition-Peirce, Dewey, and Mead-and thus takes a more optimistic view of the normative powers of rational discourse for shaping legitimate political outcomes. This chapter focuses primarily on Habermas’s discourse theory-the most comprehensive synthesis of the rationalist approach, and a useful framework for surveying the relevant issues, including the challenges posed by postmodern discourse theorists.
