The right to dissent includes both the right to speak of what is right and wrong and the moral obligation to give good reasons for a particular statement. In a modern democratic society the right to dissent is one of the most fundamental rights. Inherent in the right to dissent, we find the paradoxical morality of modern society, which consists of a critical assessment of what should be deemed right or wrong. The right to dissent has to be secured through the civil rights of participation in political deliberation and the cultivation of these legal rights in the public spheres of a deliberative democracy.

The ethics of dissent is developed in this book through a new interpretation of the German philosopher Jürgen Habermas’ communicative ethics and his political philosophy. Freedom, the right to dissent, and thoughtful critique are emphasized in the concept of negative discourse ethics. This critical perspective is integrated in a broader interpretation of Habermas’ theory of communicative action and related to the classical traditions of political philosophy represented by Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, and Rawls.

Øjvind Larsen further develops the philosophical perspective in a sociological discussion of civil society, public spheres, politics, law and a globalizing society, considered in relation to the classical tradition of sociology – represented by Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Horkheimer, Adorno, Marcuse, Bauman, Foucault, and Bourdieu.

Dr. Øjvind Larsen, Associate Professor at the Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy, Copenhagen Business School.

Press Release

Danish
Retten til at være uenig er retten til at tale om, hvad der er rigtigt og forkert, men er samtidig en moralsk forpligtigelse til at begrunde det valgte udsagn. Dette er én af de mest grundlæggende rettigheder i et moderne, demokratisk samfund, som nødvendigvis må sikres gennem medbestemmelse af politiske emner og udformning af juridiske rettigheder i den offentlige sfære i et deliberativt demokrati.

Øjvind Larsen udvikler i denne bog ”uenighedens etik” gennem en ny fortolkning af den tyske filosof Jürgen Habermas’ kommunikative etik og politiske filosofi. Frihed, retten til at være uenig og hensynsfuld kritik fremhæves i begrebet om den negative diskurs etik. Dette kritiske perspektiv bliver i bogen integreret i en videre fortolkning af Habermas’ teori om kommunikativ handling og sat i relation til de klassiske traditioner inden for politisk filosofi – Platon, Aristoteles, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard og Rawls.

Det filosofiske perspektiv udfoldes yderligere, idet forfatteren i en sociologisk diskussion sætter det civile samfund, det offentlige rum, politik, lov og det globale samfund over for den sociologiske tradition ved eksempelvis Marx, Weber, Foucault og Bourdieu.

Øjvind Larsen, dr.phil., lektor ved Institut for Ledelse, Politik og Filosofi, Copenhagen Business School.

Pressemeddelelse