Work, Democracy and the Limits of Proceduralism. Discussing Honneth’s Theory of Work

The issues of work constitute one of the main threads in Honneth’s thinking, from his very first writings to his latest publications. Honneth’s thought has changed considerably over the years in the way he has declined these issues. In his latest reflection, fully developed in his last book, The Working Sovereign, Honneth’s focus shifts once again. Labour and Democratic Citizenship Honneth’s focus shifts once again. His interest is to consider work primarily for its essential importance in democratic societies, for its potential contribution to the formation of a democratic political culture capable of reactivating the foundations of democracy. The article aims to focus on a tension within Honneth’s latest reflection between a conventionalist conception of work and a deliberative proceduralist conception of democracy, on the one hand, and a critique of capitalistic work conditions, on the other hand, that seems in need of a reference to a more substantive conception of social work and a more finalistic approach to democracy.