A Critique of the Methodology of Habermas's Communicative Action Theory

Rationality is considered as one of the main elements of modernity. Habermas is among the thinkers of Frankfurt Critical School who believes that critical rationality dominates communicative rationality. He proposes communicative rationality as a means for removing the restrictions of modernity. As for his criterion for removing these restrictions and gaining freedom in communicative rationality, due to his limitations, it can be no more that public culture or common sense. This is because he does not rely on the criteria of sacred intellect which the highest form of intellect and is unable to provide value and normative criteria based on practical intellect derived from sublime human values and ideals. So, we could not help accepting Habermas's criteria to free ourselves from these limitations if Islam had not provided a criterion which goes beyond common sense, based on divine teachings. Using the cognitive and ontological principles of Islam and applying principal methodology, the present paper criticizes Habermas's principles of communicative action and tries, through an overview of the principles of his theory to find what, according to Islam, position it has. In other words, does Islam accept the criteria proposed by Habermas in his critical ideas by using communicative action for obtaining freedom?