Full Idea
Instead of Enlightenment instrumental rationality (criticised by Adorno and Horkheimer), Habermas emphasizes 'communicative rationality', which makes critical discussion and mutual understanding possible.
Gist of Idea
Rather than instrumental reason, Habermas emphasises its communicative role
Source
report of Jürgen Habermas (The Theory of Communicative Action [1981]) by Johanna Oksala - Political Philosophy: all that matters Ch.6
Book Reference
Oksala,Johanna: 'Political Philosophy' [Hodder and Stoughton 2013], p.78
A Reaction
There was a good reason not to smoke cigarettes, before we found out what it is. In one sense, reasons are in the world. This is interesting, but I feel analytic vertigo, as the lovely concept of 'rationality' becomes blurred and diffused.