Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 November 2008
The word Communicative has, unfortunately, become so widespread that it has suffered the fate of words like democracy and freedom. At worst it has lost any precise meaning and comes to refer to any set of characteristics considered by its user to be good, modern, progressive. At best, the word is invested with precise meaning, but what is meant by it differs from user to user so that it becomes impossible to make generalizations on the topic which would satisfy all those who use the term. Indeed, any attempt at generalization is likely to lead to more divisive debate than it is to bring warring parties together.