Abstract, The public sphere in modern times emerged in London coffee houses during the 17th century. Habermas had eight concepts that defined the public sphere. They were that public sphere and government should be separate, access is guaranteed to all citizens, its a place where everyone can come together and put aside their differences, can create their own opinions, and he wanted the government to be very truthful and not hid anything from the citizens.
Key words, Ellis, Habermas, coffee house, public sphere, and London
Habermas and the public sphere,Theses are the eight ideas Habermas believed in the public sphere. He believed that public sphere and government must be separate. In his words the definition of public sphere was “ a sphere which mediates between society and state, in which the public organizes itself as the bearer of public opinion”(198). Habermas also defines public sphere as “ a realm of our social life”(198). Both of his ideas on what public sphere mean to him support his belief that government and public sphere must be separated. Habermas says that “access is guaranteed to all citizens” that means any races, gender or social belief anyone was welcome (198). Although sometimes that wasn’t always true when it came to women. He says that the public sphere is a place where everyone can come together and put aside their differences for the good of the community. Habermas said “ Public option can by definition only come into existence when a resining public is presupposed”(198).The public sphere is a place where the people can create their own opinions through the “realm of social life in which something approaching public opinion could be formed”(198). Habermas also wanted the government to be very truthful and let the people know everything that was going on “ democratic demand that information be accessible to the public”(198). Habermas believed that people should have their own freedom of speech and that everyone should respect each other and everyones ideas. He believed one should all learn how to hear others and citizens should “behave as a public body when they confer in an unrestricted fashion- that is, with the guarantee of freedom of assembly and association and the freedom to express and publish their opinions- about matters of general interests”(198). Habermas concept in the public sphere was born in the coffee houses in London during the 17th and 18th century.
Gain information through media,
In 1652, in London that is when the first coffee house opened by a mane named Edward and many things began to change. Theses coffee house were now established a new space for urban society. When Charles the II returned in the 1660s not even he could change the trend of the coffee houses. Ellis says that during the early decades of the restoration, “ the coffee-houses were the subject of an intense literary scrutiny , seeking to understand, and control, this innovative cultural space”(Ellis 58).
The coffee houses in this time were booming and they had become very popular. Inside the coffee house one could talk about pretty much anything inside. This is where most people got their news and they enjoyed going there and talking about it, “ Pepys discovered that attending news in the coffee house discussion gave him an insider’s understanding of political events”(70). Although the people liked hearing and talking about politics inside the coffee house King Charles II hated it. As Habermas says in his public sphere ideas which play into the coffee house was that a person may gain information through media “ Today newspapers and magazines , radio and television are media of the public sphere”(Habermas). Inside the coffee houses as I said before “ The attraction to the coffee house was news”(Ellis 58). This is where the people of London got their news through the spread of media throughout the coffee houses and they would enjoy going there to hear about the news.
Where public opionion can be created,
In the coffee houses, people were able to go there and express themselves without feeling like they were going to be the judge. Due to the spread of news in these coffee houses, “coffee houses were functioning as a gauge of public opinion”(Ellis 104). Another one of Habermas's ideas that fit into the coffee house is where public opinion can be created. The coffee houses never limited anyone from holding back their opinions and people were able to talk freely.
Where one can express their own opinions,
In the time of the early 1700s wits and scientists met in different coffee houses based on their geography. During this time people were able to learn from others and gain knowledge through different viewpoints. What allowed ideas to be exchanged in the coffee house was the “convivial sociability based on conversation and discussion” ( Ellis 150). Habermas says “ Citizens behave as a public body when they confer in an unrestricted fashion- that is, with the guarantee of freedom of assembly and association and the freedom to express and publish their opinions- about matters of general interest”(Habermas). The coffee houses really encouraged one to be able to feel okay to express their own opinion and one wouldn’t be the judge. If it wasn’t for freedom of expressing an opinion in the coffee house then a lot of the ideas and innovations that were talked about there may have never happened.
All are welcome at the coffee houses,
Habermas says that “access is guaranteed to all citizens” which means any races, gender or social belief anyone was welcome (198). Inside the coffee houses, everyone was accepted and “ No one should be excluded from the discussions, nor should anyone have the precedence by a quality they brought with them from outside such as status, wealth, power, or strength of arm’s”(Ellis 61). Now although they say everyone was welcome there was one gender who one would typically see only working at the coffee houses and not sitting there would be women. Although they weren’t there to join in on discussions, women were a very important and vital role in the coffee houses, they were either the wives or daughters to the coffee men and someone they could trust. Men came to the coffee houses for many reasons but “Too male customers the serving women was one of the attractions. Celebrating this flirtatious interaction confirmed the heterosexual interests of the clientele”(Ellis 101). The women were there to catch the guy's attention and try and make them stay longer.
Final analysis,
During the 17th and 18th centuries in London Habermas ideas were embedded in the coffee houses. All of that Habermas believed in so did the coffee houses. If the coffee houses weren’t how they were things would have been a lot different and they may not have succeeded as much as they did. All of Habermas's ideas of the public sphere are exactly what Ellis would say about the coffee houses.
About the author
I am a first-year student from Cape Cod, MA. I love to travel and enjoy a nice warm vacation. The beaches are where some of my best memories are. I am on the St. Lawrence field hockey team and love to be apart of it! I currently am still unsure if what I want to major in. I love to go out with my friends and go to the bagelry on Saturday and Jakes on the Water for a nice brunch on Sunday.