Contemporary moral and political theories, represented in the USA by John Rawls and in Germany by Jürgen Habermas and Karl Otto Apel, have come under significant criticism in recent years. Theories of postmodernism, feminism, and communitarianism have shifted perspectives. The essays presented in this volume by Seyla Benhabib engage with these new positions, particularly from the standpoint of gender difference. This difference is taken seriously, while also not abandoning older concepts of autonomy and self-determination. The position articulated here is understood as a radical defense of universalist theory that incorporates newer philosophical directions. It is framed as a postmetaphysical reformulation of practical philosophy, conceptualizing universalism as a dialogical process of expanded thinking.