The concept of law in Kant and Habermas: Of the moral groundwork to discursive legitimacy

Authors

  • Francisco Jozivan Guedes de Lima

Keywords:

Groundwork, Law, Moral, Discourse, Democracy

Abstract

This paper revisits the Kantian concept of law, observing principally its moral groundwork and then brings to the discussion the Habermas’ concept of law, culminating in some appreciations on the content and validity of the critique of Habermas to Kant, namely, the hypothesis of a dilution of  Kantian law in the moral. For Habermas, the law is an autonomous sphere and should not be based on moral a priori, but must perforce draw support in the ethics of discourse and in consensus.

Author Biography

Francisco Jozivan Guedes de Lima

Doutorando em Filosofia pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). Mestre em Filosofia pela Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC).

Published

2015-03-16