The renowned German philosopher and sociologist Jürgen Habermas, best known for his theory of political consensus-building, passed away on Saturday at the age of 96 in Starnberg, Germany. His publisher, Suhrkamp Verlag, confirmed the death to AFP.
Key points
- He was considered the most influential German intellectual of his generation, involved in post-war debates.
- Habermas was a proponent of European federalism to counter rising nationalism.
- He was a voice for the German student protests in the 1960s but later criticized the risks of 'left-wing fascism'.
- He was born on June 18, 1929, in Dusseldorf and joined the Hitler Youth as an adolescent.
- His recent controversial intervention involved backing Chancellor Olaf Scholz's cautious approach to military aid for Kyiv in 2022.
Why it matters
Habermas significantly shaped post-war German discourse, particularly through his defense of the uniqueness of Holocaust atrocities and his advocacy for European integration.
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