Jurgen Habermas's discourse theory of law has shaped debates on what we consider to be legitimate law. This contribution will firstly identify the Zeitgeist in which discourse theory emerged. Secondly, it points out the emancipatory potential of law that discourse theory has helped us to understand, both on a domestic and a transnational level. Thirdly, the paper turns to discuss two recent challenges for the discourse theory of law, namely (a) the realities of social power that undermine and contradict its promises, and (b) the rise of populism, which places the core normative assumptions of discourse theory in doubt

中文翻译：

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民粹主义时代的法律话语理论

于尔根·哈贝马斯 (Jurgen Habermas) 的法律话语理论塑造了关于我们认为什么是合法法律的辩论。这一贡献将首先确定话语理论出现的时代精神。其次，它指出了话语理论帮助我们在国内和跨国层面上理解的法律解放潜力。第三，本文转而讨论法律话语理论最近面临的两个挑战，即（a）破坏和违背其承诺的社会权力的现实，以及（b）民粹主义的兴起，它将话语的核心规范假设置于有疑问的理论