alt Hacker NewsPhilosoph Jürgen Habermas Gestorben
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In a time in which Democracies are being threatened by authoritarians governments, such a loss is a reminder Democracy is not guarantee, you have to fight for it, every single day.
"Jürgen Habermas is dead. The philosopher and sociologist died on Saturday in Starnberg at the age of 96."
https://www-spiegel-de.translate.goog/kultur/philosoph-juerg...
Rick Roderick on Habermas.
The series "Self Under Siege" is one of my favorite things on YouTube. Highly recommend watching all 8 in order.
I love his
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legitimation_Crisis_(book)
but feel this ponderous two-volume set
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_Communicative_Ac...
is thoroughly refuted by our last two decades of experience with electronic communications.
SEP: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2024/entries/habermas...
My favorite quote of Habermas ist about Luhmann’s[1] theory: "It‘s all wrong, but it‘s got quality".
[1] the Zettelkasten person
Obituary: https://archive.is/gQ3HB
He regularly wrote essays for "Süddeutsche Zeitung", commenting on the world's political situation. The last one I read was published in November 2025. Sharp as a knive, as always. I'll miss them.
What an accomplished life.
RIP. He was a giant among philosophers.
I wondered to which extent Habermas with the Frankfurter Schule and Critical Theory could be held partially responsible for postmodernism's march through the institutions, identity politics, and indirectly for Trump's two election victories. But it looks like he was explicitly critical of postmodernism and other counter-enlightenment movements.
RIP.
I have to say I'm quite disappointed by his attitude against Palestine. RIP, but not with the victims.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/22/israel-hamas-w...
96 years old. He lived a "full life".
Started his life supporting genocide. Ended his life supporting genocide.
May he learn something in his next life.
Habermas was truly a giant. Regardless of your political outlook, some engagement with his texts is time well spent. For an accessible on-ramp to his work, I recommend:
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/habermas/#PublSphe