BETWEEN FACTS AND NORMS - CONTRIBUTIONS TO A DISCOURSE THEORY OF LAW AND DEMOCRACY

Jurgen Habermas, an esteemed political philosopher who lived in Germany during the Nazi reign, has produced a thought-provoking work on what he calls "deliberative politics." To summarize his view, true democracy isn't just the compilation of opinions or a blanket treatment of majority rules, but a social process in which people meet, discuss, modify and, ultimately, agree. He draws connections between how such a process could shape the making of laws and direct the course of nations. His writings here represent a lifetime of political thought on the nature of democracy and law, and deserve an audience and a place in the foundations of democratic theory.