Eight arguments against Axel Honneth’s critical theory of recognition

Honneth’s critical theory of recognition divides social and political theorists. Advocates of Honneth’s approach stress its sophisticated normative foundations, its ease of operationalizability and its intuitive applicability to contemporary socio-political struggles. Honneth’s approach is popular with empirical researchers and is deployed widely. Yet, criticisms of Honneth’s theory have been mounting. In this paper, I expand on these criticisms. I advance eight arguments which can be made against Honneth’s critical theory of recognition. I argue that the combined power of these criticisms is such that critical theorists should cease attempts to reform Honneth’s perspective and should instead develop divergent social-theoretical foundations.