ABSTRACT
Words matter. As conversation, words carry weight that help constitute, reproduce and transform society. As discourse, conversation can lead to better understandings of the world and more appropriate social norms for human fl ourishing. We are drawn to Habermas’ idea of discourse because of its potential to show the possibility for emancipation implicit in present circumstances (Benhabib 1986, 225). Discourse can articulate appropriate understandings and ethical practices by challenging problematic current social interactions and by legitimating new practices in moral fashion.
