Habermas’s idea of reflexive continuity of welfare State’s project

Abstract

This paper discusses Habermas’s criticism of and proposal for a reformulation of the social democracy, as well as his contraposition to neoliberalism. I argue that Habermas’s criticism of social democracy tends to replace radical democracy with hegemony of political parties and their bureaucratic elite, and that this tendency ultimately harms the political democratization of power. I also defend that Habermas’s criticism of neoliberalism points to a neoliberal refusal of a political and economic link to social normativity, which should frame the political and economic spheres based on the universalizable interests of the Welfare State. These two aspects of Habermas’ political thought are summarized in this article in the idea of reflexive continuity of the Welfare State project.