Struggle for recognition
Honneth (1995) distinguishes love, rights and solidarity; disrespect fuels conflict.
Multiculturalism and justice
Taylor (1994) and Honneth (2004) link recognition to justice, bridging Habermasian theory and distributive justice.
Redistribution or recognition
Fraser (1995, 2000) separates the two and recasts recognition as status; see Fraser and Honneth (2003) and McNay (2008).
FAQ
- What is it in simple terms?
- People want respect, not just resources; disrespect breeds conflict.
- How do Fraser and Honneth differ?
- Honneth is monist; Fraser treats redistribution and recognition as distinct.
Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26
References
- Honneth, A. (1995). The struggle for recognition: The moral grammar of social conflicts (J. Anderson, Trans.). Polity Press. The founding text setting out love, rights and solidarity as spheres of recognition.
- Honneth, A. (2004). Recognition and justice: Outline of a plural theory of justice. Acta Sociologica, 47(4), 351–364. A concise paper extending recognition into a plural theory of justice.
- Fraser, N. (1995). From redistribution to recognition? Dilemmas of justice in a 'post-socialist' age. New Left Review, I(212), 68–93. Poses the tension between redistribution and recognition.
- Fraser, N. (2000). Rethinking recognition. New Left Review, 3, 107–120. Recasts recognition as status rather than identity.
- Fraser, N., & Honneth, A. (2003). Redistribution or recognition? A political-philosophical exchange. Verso. The direct debate between the two theorists, monism versus dualism.
- Taylor, C. (1994). The politics of recognition. In A. Gutmann (Ed.), Multiculturalism: Examining the politics of recognition (pp. 25–73). Princeton University Press. The classic essay on recognition in multicultural politics.
- McNay, L. (2008). Against recognition. Polity Press. Criticises recognition theory for simplifying power and subject formation.