Table 1.
Indices of ideal speech, after Habermas (1984a).
Summary ‘ideal speech’ indices Description
(1)
Domination-free
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Equal voices — the same chance to speak is afforded to all;
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Authority based on ‘good argument’ not hierarchy — devoid of coercion;
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Allows for criticism and reply.
(2)
Free from strategizing
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Participation with intention to convince universal audience and/or gain general assent;
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Rationally motivated agreements end disputes;
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Implicit knowledge is theoretically explicit (‘all cards on the table’);
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Universality: principles transcend specific locations and situations.
(3)
Deception-free
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Absence of self-deception and absence of deception through participation;
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Trust implicit through assumption of consensus.
(4)
Egalitarian
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Power relations between participants play no role in the situation, and only speakers with an equal chance to employ representative and regulative speech acts are allowed in the discourse.
(5)
Promotes intersubjective validity claims
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Encourages a ‘hypothetical orientation’ and the shared airing of hypotheses lends itself to intersubjective recognition of claims (i.e. exchange and acceptance of diverse viewpoints).
(6)
Recognises different kinds of evidence
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An open, respectful environment allows a variety of knowledge claims, different grounds or ways of backing claims to be brought to the table including anecdotal evidence.
(7)
Constraint-free
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No limits on participation (i.e. in terms of numbers, knowledge types, etc.);
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No force (or exertion of power), except the force of better argument;
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Better arguments to stand, nothing ruled-out or ruled-in.
(8)
Inclusive
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Includes all those who are affected by its decisions. Anyone who considers his/herself to be potentially affected by the results of the discourse must have an equal opportunity to participate.