Jurgen Habermas' Theory of Communicative Rationality:

• Telos of Communication:

  · Mutual understanding is a crucial goal in conversations, whether simple dialogues or arguments.

  · Communication refines thoughts, deepens relationships, and builds trust and confidence.

  · Telos - refer to the final cause of a natural organ or entity, or of human art.

  · Despite the goal of mutual understanding, individuals with different backgrounds may easily come into conflict during communication.
• Introduction to Habermas:

  · Jurgen Habermas, German sociologist and philosopher.

  · Known for his theory of communicative rationality in the critical theory tradition.
• Communication and the Evolution of Society

  · Habermas identifies and reconstructs "universal conditions of possible understandings."
• Speech Actions as Predominant Means:

  · Habermas singles out "speech actions" (dialogue) as the predominant means of achieving understanding.
• Four Tests or Validity Claims:

  · Comprehensibility - Pertains to the use of ordinary language.

  · Truth Refers to the truth of uttered statements about objective facts.

  · Truthfulness - Pertains to the genuine intentions of the speaker, essential for building trust.

  · Rightness - Pertains to the acceptable tone and pitch of voice expressions.

    
• Significance for Authentic Dialogue:

  · Comprehensibility, truth, truthfulness, and rightness are crucial factors for authentic dialogue.

    
• Outcome of Successful Communication

  · When actors uphold validity claims, it results in intersubjective "reciprocal understanding, shared knowledge, mutual trust, and accord."
• Transformation in Relationships:

  · Successful communication leads to a transformation in the relationship between individuals engaged in dialogue.
• oal of Communicative Action:

  · The goal is not to force or influence the other's decision.

  · The aim is to reach a mutually satisfying agreement or understanding through dialogue and communication skills.