Ideal speech situation

Ideal speech is arguably the topic most cited in theological works that consider Habermas, and it is principally for this reason that it is treated first. Theologians also tend to appeal to the ideal speech situation as if it were one of Habermas' most enduring contributions to an ethics of communication. This is remarkable, as Habermas admitted problems with the concept before he wrote The Theory of Communicative Action, and it had a life of barely more than five years in his work from the early 1970s.