Habermas and the non-humans: towards a critical theory for the new collective

Abstract

This paper proposes a new way in which the principles of critical theory can be applied to the study of information systems by drawing on the work of Bruno Latour. It does this by reflecting on Habermas’ focus on human agency and, by reconsidering the fact value division, it proposes a new collective consisting of selective humans and non–humans. The paper ends by considering how this new collective could apply in the context of information systems implementation and proposes areas for future research