Transsubjectivity

pp. 393-419

in: Harald R. Wohlrapp, The concept of argument, Berlin, Springer, 2014

Abstract

Argumentation, when enlightened with theory, may achieve a more sophisticated state. Yet without a commitment to reasonableness, it remains in a condition of sophistry. In the present approach, this commitment is modeled on Paul Lorenzen's "principle of transsubjectivity," a principle which demands from the arguers an effort to put their subjective systems into a reflective distance. This is the precondition for an acknowledgment of the Other. In practical terms, it means the consideration of objections in argumentation. When continuously iterated, human reason exhibits a transcendent core: Trust in the potential of autonomous human reasonableness transcends our experiences and ultimately converges with religious faith.