"In a detailed reply to the Philosophical Discourse of Modernity and critical theory, this volume explains the difference between Habermas' philosophical practice of critique and Foucault's genealogy, between the analytics of truth and the politics of truth. Many of the most difficult arguments in the exchange - understanding the history of the present; the function of normative criticism; the relation between relativism and universalism - are subject to critical analysis. The contributors also discuss the ethics of dialogue; the practice of criticism, the politics of recognition; and the function of civil society and democracy." "Comprising the work of an international and interdisciplinary group of scholars, this accessible book will be essential reading for students of social theory, politics and philosophy."--BOOK JACKET.