The German thinker, author of “The Theory of Communicative Action” and one of the most influential intellectual voices of the 20th century, dies at 96 years old
The German philosopher and sociologist Jürgen Habermas, considered one of the most influential thinkers of contemporary philosophy and one of Europe's great intellectual voices after the Second World War, has died this Saturday at the age of 96 in the German town of Starnberg.
The news was confirmed by his publisher, Suhrkamp Verlag, in a statement released after informing the family, as reported by DPA and Europa Press.
Habermas was for decades a central figure of European political and philosophical thought, especially for his reflections on democracy, public debate, and the role of reason in modern society.
The thinker who explained the “public space”
One of Habermas's most influential concepts was that of "public sphere", developed in his work The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere (1961).
In that book, he/she analyzed how citizens debate and form collective opinions in modern democracies, an idea that would later become key to understanding phenomena such as media politics, public opinion, and democratic debate
His work would end up influencing fields as diverse as philosophy, sociology, political theory, law, or communication studies.
A career linked to the Frankfurt School
Habermas began his intellectual career in the nineteen fifties at the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt, linked to the so-called Frankfurt School, where he worked alongside the philosopher Theodor W. Adorno.
In 1964 he assumed the chair that Max Horkheimer had occupied at the University of Frankfurt, consolidating himself as one of the great thinkers of his generation.
During that stage he published key works such as "Knowledge and Interest" (1968) and "Theory of Communicative Action" (1981)
This last book is considered his main work and one of the most important philosophical contributions of the 20th century.
An intellectual present in the great political debates
Unlike many academic philosophers, Habermas always maintained a strong presence in the public debate.
Throughout his life, he intervened in discussions on topics such as European construction, the Kosovo war, scientific ethics, and the role of religion in modern societies
Even after his academic retirement in 1994, he continued writing and participating in political debates from his residence in Starnberg, near Munich.
A moral voice in contemporary Europe
Habermas was for decades an intellectual reference in Germany and in Europe.
Their ideas advocated that democracy can only be sustained through rational dialogue and public debate, a vision that deeply influenced contemporary political philosophy.
With his death disappears one of the most influential figures of European thought of the last century.