Jürgen Habermas is one of the foremost philosophers and social theorists in the world today, but the complexity and breadth of his thought make him often difficult to understand. This book offers a clear, accessible, and reliable introduction to Habermas' work, particularly that which he has written in the 1970s and 1980s when new themes and directions have emerged in his thought. The author explains the ideas that characterize Habermas' later work, locating them in the context of contemporary debates, and demonstrates how they constitute the beginnings of a coherent and distinctive new research program.