The primary objective of this book is to make the reader ready to take on Habermas's own works. Habermas's writings are, if we are honest, complex and on first reading obscure. To read them requires patience, and the ability to recognize the multiple themes that often run in parallel through extended arguments. It also requires a familiarity with the history of German philosophy and the history of sociology and social theory, as well as with contemporary debates in both continental and analytic philosophy, not to mention a fair grasp of cognitive psychology and some psychoanalysis. To meet these demands I am offering a substantial introduction. It is not enough just to offer an introduction, in the sense of a schematic run through Habermas's big ideas. Rather, I have attempted to sketch in something of the detail of his argument, and to convey the manner in which he weaves together multiple strands of thought.

The structure of the book is a more or less chronological account of Habermas's career. Such an account has an intrinsic interest, in so far as it allows us to see the developments, shifts and turns in Habermas's thinking as he strives to refine basic insights, and to incorporate new sources and ideas. It also allows chapters and their subsections to focus largely on specific texts. I am well aware that many readers will approach this text for guidance on reading specific books or essays by Habermas.