ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the basic elements of The Theory of Communicative Action (TCA) and explains the choices that Jurgen Habermas makes in the course of constructing his theoretical scheme. It argues that although in some senses Between Facts and Norms (BFN) simply carries on further down the path established in the earlier work, it can also be read as representing a change of direction, albeit not a sharp one. Habermas introduces the concept of the lifeworld as a complement to that of communicative action. The chapter discusses Habermas's treatment of social and system integrative processes, giving particular consideration to the arguments that drive him to insist that two different methodological approaches are needed in the social sciences. Habermas suggests that the core of the issue is the interpretation of the politicocultural self-understanding of a community that permits the generalization of social scientific 'laws' that in turn explain the functional characteristics of systems.
