Farewell to metaphysics: Nietzsche -- Phenomenology and critique: Adorno -- Life-world and communicative action: Habermas -- Apel's transformation of philosophy -- Hermeneutics and deconstruction: Gadamer and Derrida in dialogue -- Tale of two cities: Ricoeur's political and social essays -- Pragmatism and hermeneutics: Bernstein -- Virtue and tradition: MacIntyre -- Dialogue and otherness: Theunissen -- Structuration and agency: Giddens -- System, state and polis: Luhmann.