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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 12

Publication Date: December 25, 2023

DOI:10.14738/assrj.1012.16088

Almuqren, A. (2023). Theorising the Public Sphere. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(12). 312-322.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Theorising the Public Sphere

Abdullah Almuqren

Politics, Philosophy and Religion Department, Lancaster University

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the criticism of Jürgen Habermas's idea of the public sphere,

which is essential for sociology to comprehend the possibility for consensus in the

communication processes of modern society. The main objective of this paper is to

examine the evolution of the notion of the public sphere. This will be achieved by

investigating the traditional concept of the public sphere and scrutinising its

mechanisms. The public sphere is crucial in providing a platform for thoughtful

discussions that strive to involve society in the process of constructing society itself.

Undoubtedly, the evolution of social interactions in contemporary times is

influenced by the standard possibilities and limitations imposed by public

discussions. Amidst the era of digital advancements, the discussion around the

public sphere has gained significant significance and complexity. Given the

abundance and variety of public areas. This paper aims to elucidate the evolution

of the traditional notion of the public sphere and analyse its defining features.

INTRODUCTION

Public sphere is the place where people gather to discuss issues of public interest, engage in

rational discourse, and sphere "public opinion" (Habermas, 1962). Public sphere refers to a

social setting where people can gather to openly discuss and determine societal issues, and by

doing so, have an impact on political decisions. The term used to describe this type of discussion

is public debate, which refers to the expression of opinions on topics of public importance.

Typically, participants in the discussion hold competing or differing perspectives. The

examination of the public sphere centres on the concept of participatory democracy and the

process by which public opinion is translated into political engagement. The ideology

underlying public sphere theory posits that governmental laws and policies need to be guided

by the public sphere, and that only governments that heed the public sphere's voice are

considered legitimate (Benhabib, 1992). This paper traces the evolution of the public sphere

concept, beginning with its original formulation and definition by Habermas. It then examines

the subsequent stages of its development and theoretical analyses, focusing on the study and

analysis of the characteristics of the public sphere. Consequently, the intricate history of the

public realm is thoroughly emphasised to facilitate the reader's comprehension of this concept.

The aim is to examine the definition of public sphere, explore various approaches to it, and

determine the feasibility of applying the classical notion of public space in different contexts.

Additionally, the study will assess the extent to which the concepts of public sphere are

implemented in various locations. It also concludes by raising a question regarding the

applicability of the principles of public sphere to contemporary social media in the digital

sphere.

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Almuqren, A. (2023). Theorising the Public Sphere. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(12). 312-322.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.1012.16088

PUBLIC SPHERE

After publishing his great book entitled The Theory of Communicative Action (1981), which can

be considered as the cornerstone of the concept of Public Sphere, the latter has attracted the

attention of thinkers, politicians and philosophers in the West. The basis of the Public Sphere

relies on the central communicative action based on the critical thinking of the actors in the

process, starting with the normal and the simplest social aspect and moving through the

various life aspects that are more complicated and organized. The concept of the Public Sphere

is also related communicative rationalism, and Habermas has been keen on studying and

investigating this concept, publishing his book, The Structural Transformation of the Public

Sphere (Habermas, 1962).

THE CLASSIC TREND OF PUBLIC SPHERE THEORIZING

The concept of the Public Sphere has its origins from the language of ancient Greek. It is derived

from the Greek word “koine” and the Greek city “polis”. It means the being “free” and “visible”,

which means that a group of citizens meet and discuss one common topic in a plain and

straightforward way, as everything is clear or can be seen clearly. Moreover, any individual can

participate and compete the others, so that he or she can win if he or she has the best

performance in an activity (Habermas, 1989). Finally, the concept of Public Sphere spread in all

over the European countries by means of the Roman Law, and the Latin equivalent is “res

publico”.

Even though the origins and roots of the concept of the Public Sphere date back to the era of the

emergence of nation states based on ethnicities and ethnic majority, such as Germany, the

spread of this concept can be credited to the German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724- 1804),

who also has the credit to think of publicity, as he distinguished between private and public use

of intellect. After that, Habermas came up with what is called “Public Sphere”, which is the

realms and common environment of specific individuals in order to establish a realm that

frames political practices and guides public opinion through the communicative action

(Johnson, 2011). In this context, Kant is regarded, for Habermas, as the actual founder of the

Public Sphere for Habermas, Habermas stresses that the Kantian publicity necessitated the

transition from individualism to universalism at the level of morality and politics. The aim of

this publicity is to create a civil society that establishes the truth on a comprehensive level, in

line with the capacity of practical intellect to establish an illuminating publicity.

This principle of publicity is what makes Kant's notion, the Public Sphere, an attraction and

interest for Habermas. It can be said that the general agreement among people (especially those

who are members of “rational-critical debate”) lies in the essence of publicity. In addition, this

general agreement is at the same time a practical question and examination of the “truth”

(Habermas, 1989: 105). However, Habermas found that publicity alone is not sufficient, as it

needs to be accompanied with communicative rationality and debate among persons, based on

discussion and deliberation among the group of persons. It also relies on the consensus which

is based on the reality of social practice. Kant's view of the people and citizens involved in the

public domain is vague, as Habermas indicates. For example, according to Habermas, the view

of Kant concerning the public represented by the people who take part of the Public Sphere is

not completely obvious. On the one hand, it is said that these people need guidance, as they do

what they do according to what they are taught to do. In spite of this, they are said to be

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 12, December-2023

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

sufficiently ‘enlightened’ to use their minds and intellects in public places (Habermas, 1989:

105).

Publicity is one of the basic principles that shapes Habermas's political thought. In his book

Public Sphere, the principle of “publicity”, on which contemporary bourgeois states have relied,

emerged. Accordingly, Habermas views that ‘Public Sphere and Publicity’ is a study that seeks

to examine the foundations and structure of the liberal bourgeois model. Habermas also

stresses the spatial dimension of the public sphere. He mentions that the term ‘public sphere’

comes mainly from G. W. F. Hegel's philosophy of right, as it denotes the place of producing and

exchanging goods, where all other economic relationships are determined, and the civil society

is subject to economic laws (Habermas, 1989: xvii).

Habermas sees the social domain as a world of our social life in which something approaching

public opinion can be formed. Publicity is one of the basic principles that shapes Habermas's

political thought. In his book, Public Sphere, the principle of “publicity” on which contemporary

bourgeois states are based, and from here Habermas goes that “Public Sphere and Publicity” is

a study that seeks to examine the foundations and structure of the liberal bourgeois model.

Habermas also emphasizes the spatial dimension of public space, as Habermas mentions that

the term public space comes mainly from Wilhelm Hegel's philosophy of right, as it denotes the

place of production and exchange of goods, and where all other economic relations are defined,

and civil society is subject to economic laws. Moreover, Habermas defines Public Sphere as “a

realm of our social life in which something approaching public opinion can be formed”

(Habermas, 1974: 49).

According to Habermas, the bourgeois public sphere can be understood first and foremost as

the domain or realm of a group of specific people gathered in the form of audience, and these

people are calling for this domain codified and organized by the authority, but they are

demanding it directly against the authority itself, so that they can discuss public rules, the field

of exchanging goods and social work, which is a field that remains fundamentally subordinate,

but whose importance has become of a public nature (Habermas, 1991: 33).

Habermas's contribution to the public sphere is one of the first contributions to this concept in

the twentieth century. The importance of these contributions is evident in rethinking about the

concepts associated with public sphere such as legitimacy, consultative democracy, and the

formation of a free public opinion. Habermas tries to have a perception in which the political

process is implemented in its best form, in accordance with the stage in Europe, especially the

post-Nazi stage. Accordingly, Habermas traced the structural transformation of public sphere.

In his book The Transformation of the Public Sphere, Habermas investigated the development

and history of Public Sphere “from the eighteenth-century salons to the contemporary physical

or virtual spaces where citizens partake in conversations regarding the common good”

(Habermas, 1989). According to Habermas (1989), the bourgeois public sphere evolved

through the feudal and aristocratic societies and royal courts. It first appeared as a “public

sphere in the realm of letters,” as a literary public field, or it appeared as a political public

domain, “public sphere in the realm of politics.” Furthermore, the development of the literary

public domain, as Habermas views, went in parallel with the development of capitalist economy

and the withdrawal of feudalism. Habermas also argued that with an increasing number of