Abstract
Habermas asks: how is social order possible? He believes that in modern, secular societies social order rests mainly on communicative action and discourse, which help establish and maintain social integrity. In other words, they bind society together. ‘The programme of social theory’ considers Habermas's conceptual and social ontological conceptions of social theory. Habermas believes that modern societies consist of two spheres of sociality: lifeworld and system. These are the counterparts of, and homes to, communicative and instrumental action. What is the difference between communicative action and strategic action? What does Habermas mean by the terms ‘lifeworld’ and ‘system’?