I finally got through all three sections of the Habermas' reading (pat on back). One thing I realize is that the last section of the reading seems to mirror the ideas of Adorno and Horkheimer.

In the second section, he details a public sphere that is composed of intellectuals engaged in critical debate. Rationality and reason are their tools which they use frequently in the salons and the coffeehouses. Eventually, their debates transfer over to the political sphere where they can be used to change society.

Let's speak, for a moment, about this issue of happiness. It was alluded to in a few earlier posts with regard to the desire for 'vegging out' at the movies, for contently complying with practices and ideologies of the current sociopolitical order, for breaking with this so-called 'system' whilst maintaining ones' sanity. In response, let me back up for a minute: