Jürgen Habermas is considered one of the most influential social theorists of the 20th and early 21st centuries. His intellectual work spans critical theory, sociology, political philosophy, and public discourse theory. As a member of the second generation of the Frankfurt School, Habermas reinterpreted and extended the tradition of critical theory by integrating concepts from American pragmatism, systems theory, and language philosophy. Central to his work is the concept of communicative rationality, which he develops in contrast to instrumental and strategic forms of reason. In his major work The Theory of Communicative Action (1981), he proposes a model of society based on communicative action and the ideal of deliberative democracy. His normative commitment to democratic discourse also informs his contributions to debates on the public sphere, constitutional law, and European integration. Habermas has remained an active public intellectual and moral authority in German and international debates on modernity, secularism, and human rights.
Key Works
Theorie des kommunikativen Handelns (1981), Strukturwandel der Öffentlichkeit (1962), Faktizität und Geltung (1992), Erkenntnis und Interesse (1968)
