Jürgen Habermas

Jürgen Habermas
Born	(1929-06-18) 18 June 1929 (age 87) Düsseldorf, Rhine Province, Prussia, Germany
Spouse(s)	Ute Wesselhöft
Era	Contemporary philosophy
Region	Western Philosophy
School	Continental philosophy Critical theory
Main interests	Social theory Epistemology Political theory Pragmatics
Notable ideas	Communicative rationality Post-metaphysical philosophy Discourse ethics Deliberative democracy Universal pragmatics Communicative action The structural transformation of the public sphere The system–lifeworld distinction Critique of subject-centered reason Criticism of structuralism Performative contradiction Constitutional patriotism
Influences Weber Durkheim Mead Marx Dilthey Parsons Kant Hegel Heidegger Piaget Horkheimer Adorno Marcuse Wittgenstein Peirce Austin Wolfgang Abendroth
Influenced Offe Honneth McCarthy Hoppe Benhabib Fraser
Signature

Jürgen Habermas (/ˈjɜːrɡən/ or /ˈjʊərɡən ˈhɑːbərmɑːs/;German: [ˈjʏrɡn̩ ˈhaːbɐmaːs]; born 18 June 1929) is a German sociologist and philosopher in the tradition of critical theory and pragmatism. He is perhaps best known for his theories on communicative rationality and the public sphere. Global polls consistently find that Habermas is widely recognized as one of the world's leading intellectuals.

Associated with the Frankfurt School, Habermas's work focuses on the foundations of social theory and epistemology, the analysis of advanced capitalistic societies and democracy, the rule of law in a critical social-evolutionary context, and contemporary politics, particularly German politics. Habermas's theoretical system is devoted to revealing the possibility of reason, emancipation, and rational-critical communication latent in modern institutions and in the human capacity to deliberate and pursue rational interests. Habermas is known for his work on the concept of modernity, particularly with respect to the discussions of rationalization originally set forth by Max Weber. He has been influenced by American pragmatism, action theory, and even poststructuralism.