Reflections on a philosophical giant

Jürgen Habermas (see photo), one of Germany’s most influential contemporary philosophers, died earlier this year at the age of 96. Habermas was widely regarded as one of the most influential philosophers and public intellectuals of the post-war era. He was known especially for his theories of communicative action and deliberative democracy, in which he championed rational dialogue as the foundation of democratic societies.

In this interview with Pat Coyle of Irish Jesuit Communications, historian and editor of the Jesuit cultural journal Studies », Dr Dermot Roantree, explores the above themes in Habermas’ work. He talks about the impact of WW11 and the holocaust on the development of his ideas and how that impact was felt by him right up to his last days, as evidenced in a letter he co-signed after the Hamas attack in Israel on 7 October 2023, and the subsequent killing of thousands of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers.

Dr Roantree also discusses the unfolding of the philosopher’s insights into the importance of religion in his later years.