Reasoning together

Jürgen Habermas, a German philosopher and social theorist, died in 2026 at the age of 96.

Born in 1929, he was a leading figure in the Frankfurt School and a defender of deliberative democracy, a system where laws and policies are justified through open public discussion rather than force or tradition.

Habermas taught at Northwestern University in Illinois from the mid-1990s to the late-2000s, where his lectures on his 1992 book Between Facts and Norms attracted students from diverse fields like law, philosophy, and political science.

His work argues that modern societies survive through collective reasoning, where people exchange ideas and remain open to changing their views based on better arguments.

Habermas was known for his nasal voice, thick German accent, and impeccable English, often using chalk and diagrams to explain complex theories.