Jürgen Habermas obituary

March 15, 2026

TL;DR

Jürgen Habermas, a philosopher and social theorist, died at 96.
He was a member of the Hitler Youth during WWII, but was later profoundly affected by the Nuremberg trials and concentration camp documentaries.
Habermas studied under Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer, developing critical theory and focusing on communicative reason and the public sphere.
He advocated for a new categorical imperative: 'to order their thought and actions such that Auschwitz never reoccurs'.
His major works include 'The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere' and 'Theory of Communicative Action'.
Habermas engaged with public debates, including the Historikerstreit (historians' quarrel) and the question of Israel's actions in Gaza.
He remained a proponent of democratic ideals and a united Europe, warning against technocratic control and the rise of populism.
His philosophy emphasized the potential for rational consensus and democratic deliberation as a bulwark against irrationality and fascism.

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