Communicative rationality and the foundation of human rights

Abstract

Scientific, technological, and social evolution seem unable to meet the current challenges of building a good and just life for all. Technological progress appears to be unable to find solutions to reduce inequalities, build a capable culture, and develop the potential of the human condition. This article sought to explore Habermas's theory of communicative action and conception of human rights, discussing some possible responses to avert the imminent dangers of future wars, but also, and fundamentally, to protect the intrinsic demands of the inviolable values of human dignity itself. The old certainties of modern society are disappearing, and something entirely new is emerging. In this context, the foundation of human rights is justified in the face of the obsolescence of models and the risks posed by global problems and familiar social and political institutional arrangements. From this paradox arises the need to structure a new understanding of human rights, revisiting the two most important projects in Habermas's work: the philosophical project and the project of modernity.