Most of the book takes the form of an extended interview which covers a wide range of contemporary topics and events, from German unification to the Gulf War, from the limits of theory to the role of intellectuals. While Habermas draws on ideas developed in his more theoretical works, he states his views here with exceptional clarity and force.
The Past as Future will be of great interest not only to students of social and political theory, but to anyone concerned with the current state and future of Europe and the West.
Preface by Michael Haller.
Prologue.
1. The Gulf War: Catalyst for a New German Normalcy?.
2. The Normative Deficits of Reunification.
3. The Past as Future.
4. Europe's Second Chance.
5. What Theories Can Accomplish - and What They Can't.
6. The Asylum Debate (Paris Lecture, 14 January 1993).
Afterword (May 1993).
Translator's Notes.
Index.
