The possible understanding

communicative action and reciprocal justification in Habermas

Abstract

In Habermas' conception, the communicative action is based on the expansion of individual ethical horizons, considering the consideration of issues that concern what is good for everyone.In order to reveal how, through discursive interaction, individuals could reach an understanding of their interests and needs, he sought to show how the rational and pragmatic use of language is able to promote mutual understanding and a provisional agreement betweenparticipants in discussions in the public sphere.This article highlights the importance of language in Habermasian theory from a reflection on the elements that structure the discursive game in which interlocutors must listen to each other, justifying their positions reciprocally, amidst the conflict of opinions and the desire for recognition.