Abstract

One of the fundamental concepts of the liberal public sphere is that of inclusiveness. However, most theoreticians of the liberal public sphere such as Habermas acknowledge that the liberal public sphere has not in reality been inclusive. They maintain that this is a case of reality not matching the conceptual framework of the liberal public sphere. I suggest that this is an oversight and that there are some concepts within the theoretical framework of the liberal public sphere that contribute towards exclusion. To demonstrate this perspective I investigate three conceptual conditions that I believe contribute to exclusion in the liberal public sphere, these being: the notion of self-abstraction, the strict separation of the public and private spheres, and the non-inclusion of the material condition of the public realm. ;In terms of the first concept I use the argument of the radical feminists to illustrate that a more inclusive public sphere would result if the notion of self-abstraction were replaced with the concept of the embodied situated person. I also argue that the second concept that of the strict separation of the public and private spheres needs to be modified so that the public and private spheres are understood to be on a continuum and the boundaries are 'weak'. In addition, the concept of a singular, universal public sphere needs to be modified to allow for multiple publics that are parallel discursive arenas. ;The final concept that I suggest needs to be modified is the non-inclusion of the material conditions of the public sphere. I suggest that by including the material condition of the public sphere a setting could be afforded in which the public sphere would have the potential to emerge. My conclusion is that the creation of liminal space holds the potential for providing a more inclusive public realm. The creation of liminal space as a transitional space correlates well with the concept of a weak boundary condition between the public and private spheres. All these modifications are then integrated into an argument for the 'weak public sphere' model