Pluralism and Truth: From Classical Liberalism to Late Postmodernism

Abstract

In the context of mass communication, the routine use of the term “pluralism” has created a semantic wear and tear that demands a new exploration of the concept in light of adequate historical, philosophical, and philological references. This is precisely the purpose of this paper. Indeed, the notion of pluralism associated with the primitive formulations of classical Greek democracy has very little to do with what liberalism subsequently defended in the late eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries, a contemporary theorist of democracy like Habermas, or the postmodern movement during the eighties. While it is true that no one opposes pluralism, it is also true that the ascription of this concept is due to very different parameters. Habermas and some postmodern authors bet on the plural collective debate, especially with regard to media; but both its starting point and its conclusions are divergent.