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Theory & Psychology
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Life Story Dialogue and the Ideal Speech Situation Critical Theory and Hermeneutics

Steve Harrist

Oklahoma State University, ronlash{at}okstate.edu

Scott Gelfand

Oklahoma State University, gelfand{at}okstate.edu

In this paper we suggest that agents engage in life history dialogue prior to discourse as a way of enhancing mutual understanding and overcoming impediments to genuine consensus. We furthermore claim that life history dialogue fits well with Habermas’ concern regarding the hegemony of technical rationality. Habermas asserts that norms and normative institutional arrangements are just or valid if and only if they represent genuine consensus arrived at in discourse under ideal speech conditions. A requirement of genuine consensus is that discourse participants understand each other and have a shared understanding of normative terms. Three impediments to understanding threaten genuine consensus. We propose that encouraging participants to engage in life history dialogue prior to discourse will diminish these impediments. As a form of hermeneutic dialogue, life history dialogue serves as a model for how we come to understand ourselves, know each other, and may serve as a forum for cultivating understanding.

Key Words: dialogue • Habermas • hermeneutics • ideal speech situation • life history narrative • power

Theory & Psychology, Vol. 15, No. 2, 225-246 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0959354305051366
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