Recognition, reification and pathologies of reason in Axel Honneth's critical philosophy as moral motivation for social movements in pursuit of citizenship

Abstract

This article, using the inductive method and the bibliographical technique, seeks to understand the categories of recognition, reification and the pathologies of reason, developed by Axel Honneth, in order to relate them to theories of social movements, with the purpose of observing them in light of the moral motivation for the performance of the aforementioned movements in search of citizenship rights. The connection that can be made between the theories is that, starting from the observation that there are problems (pathologies) related to the recognition of the other in contemporary society, the logic of a healthy functioning of intersubjective relations is subverted, at which point Axel Honneth starts explaining the details of recognition (forgetfulness of recognition), which may result in reification. Thus, understanding these categories is crucial to the understanding of Honneth's theories, for they enable the unveiling of the moral motivation for the actions of social movements, historically and sociologically contextualized.