On Honneth’s Theory Of Recognition And Its Theoretical Value

As the third generation of the Frankfurt School’s central figure, Honneth proposed the theory of recognition, recognition theory is the new development of social critical theory in contemporary. Tremendous progress of science and technology have promoted the development of human society, but the situation of human beings was more complicated and confusing. Horkheimer and Adorno questioned enlightenment, they have maintained critique and reflection on industrial civilization, instrumental rationality and industrial ideology. Habermas proposed a "late capitalism" concept, trying to rebuild Marxist historical materialism; then put forward the theory of Communicative Action, divided system and living world, trying to unify these two areas. Along this, Honneth take his responsibility of the Frankfurt School’s academic mission leader, proposed his theory of recognition, jioned into the discussion of contemporary political philosophy. Facing the complex social situations of Post-capitalism period,the recognition theory provides a complete model of social ethics on how to achieve complete of individual personality, Intersubjective consensus and solve the contradiction between the individual and the community.This dissertion mainly explores the theoretical sources,main contents of Honneth’s recognition theory,and its siginificance for the development and enrichment of western Marxism,especially the Frankfurt School thinking; This dissertion also illuminates some weakness in the recognition theory.Honneth inherites the Struggle for Recognition form form Hegel’s philosophical works. As a result, Honneth proposed three different Recognition Forms(Love,Rights and Solidarity). What the three kinds of recognition bring to people are three kinds of experience of self-confidence, self-esteem and pride.There are three forms of contempt that correspond to the three forms of recognition:violence, insult and deprivation of right. But the three forms of contempt destroy these psychological experiences, which are the moral motivation of the main body to carry on the social resistance. The struggle for recognition in the interactive experience between individual and community constantly promote the progress and development of individuals and society. Honneth’s theory of recognition is formed under the dialectical logic of the moral struggle. At the same time, in order to address the realistic social problems, Honneth expanded the recognition theory, which he put the justice, freedom and rights other issues into the framework of the theory of recognition, forming a practical philosophy theory that covers the areas of social diagnosis theory,moral theory, justice theory and so on.But at the same time, we should also notice that Honneth’s theory of recognition has certain defects. He didn’t take economic life into consideration, and simple moral struggle logical can not fully explain all kinds of problems faced by social life. In view of the lack of "content", Marx’s view of historical materialism provides a good theoretical reference. Whether the economic and morality dimension can achieve a better combination in the framework of political philosophy is the question to be discussed in this paper.