Jürgen Habermas passes away: farewell to the Frankfurt School philosopher
Farewell to Jürgen Habermas, the thinker who shaped the 20th century
Jürgen Habermas, one of the most influential philosophers of our time, has died at the age of 96. The heir to the Frankfurt School passed away peacefully surrounded by his family, leaving an unfillable void in the global cultural landscape. News of his death, which broke yesterday, has shaken not only Germany but all of Europe, and Italy in particular, where his ideas have always found fertile ground.
Born in Düsseldorf in 1929, Habermas navigated the short 20th century and beyond with the power of his ideas. His philosophy was never locked away in an ivory tower; it sought to interpret society, democracy, and the role of communication. For decades, he was the leading figure of critical theory, carrying forward the legacy of Horkheimer and Adorno while keeping a firm eye on the present.
The cornerstones of his thought are more relevant today than ever:
- The public sphere as a space for rational debate, capable of generating democratic opinion.
- The theory of communicative action, the foundation of a society where dialogue prevails over coercion.
- The defence of the European project and constitutionalism, seen as bulwarks against nationalism and populism.
- The ongoing dialogue with the great thinkers of the 20th century, from Rawls to Derrida, including the Marxist tradition.
In Italy, Habermas was a familiar figure. His books – from The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere to Between Facts and Norms – were read and debated like few others. Italian philosophers like Giacomo Marramao remembered him fondly: "A giant, a friend." His presence at conferences, his lectures in Rome, Milan and Bologna shaped generations of scholars. Italian politics also frequently invoked him, especially when it came to defending European integration and constitutional values.
When reviewing his body of work, you realise just how vital his lessons remain. For those approaching his ideas for the first time, an essential guide might start with the concept of "communicative action": a simple yet powerful idea that society rests on individuals' ability to reach understanding through language. But how to use these tools today? In an era of social media and polarisation, his theory invites us to rediscover authentic dialogue, free from distortions and power imbalances.
Habermas was never an abstract philosopher. In recent years, he didn't hold back from criticising the neoliberal drift and Euroscepticism. He believed in a political Europe, capable of counterbalancing globalisation. His calm but firm voice will be missed in these turbulent times.
With him, a piece of the 20th century is gone, but his ideas endure. As someone once wrote, philosophy isn't there to console us, but to make us freer. And Habermas's philosophy was one of freedom, grounded in reason and debate. Today, as we bid him farewell, we can only thank him for teaching us how to think.