In Germany, at the age of 96, one of the most prominent contemporary sociologists and philosophers, Jürgen Habermas, has died, his publisher "Suhrkamp" reported, according to LETA citing AP.
The philosopher passed away on Saturday in Starnberg near Munich.
For several decades, Habermas frequently expressed his views on political issues. His extensive body of work transcended academic and philosophical disciplines, offering insights into modern society and social interaction. Among his most famous works is the two-volume "Theory of Communicative Action."
He was born with a cleft palate, which led him to undergo several surgeries in childhood, and this experience influenced his later reflections on language.
Habermas stated that he personally felt the significance of oral speech as "a layer of community without which we as individuals cannot exist," and he recalled how he had to struggle to be understood. He also spoke of the "superiority of the written word" and noted that "the written form conceals the shortcomings of oral speech."
Habermas was born on June 18, 1929, in Düsseldorf. He studied philosophy, psychology, German literature, and economics in Göttingen, Zurich, and Bonn.
In 1956, he joined the re-established Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt, led by Theodor Adorno, and later taught at the universities of Marburg and Frankfurt, as well as at the Max Planck Institute, before returning to Frankfurt as a professor of philosophy.
