Habermas to Speak at Princeton University This Thursday

Habermas
Habermas

World-renowned public intellectual, sociologist and philosopher Jürgen Habermas will speak on “Transnationalization of Democracy: A European Experiment,” at Princeton University on Thursday, May 1.

The lecture will begin at 4:30 p.m. in McCosh Hall, Room 50. The event, which is free and open to the public, is presented by the Princeton University Program in Contemporary European Politics and Society.

Habermas, 84, is a German sociologist and philosopher in the tradition of critical theory and pragmatism. He is best known for his theories on communicative rationality and the public sphere.

Associated with the Frankfurt School, Habermas’s work focuses on the foundations of social theory and epistemology, the analysis of advanced capitalistic societies and democracy, the rule of law in a critical social-evolutionary context, and contemporary politics, particularly German politics. His theoretical system is devoted to revealing the possibility of reason, emancipation, and rational-critical communication latent in modern institutions and in the human capacity to deliberate and pursue rational interests.

Habermas is known for his work on the concept of modernity, particularly with respect to the discussions of rationalization originally set forth by Max Weber. He has been influenced by American pragmatism, action theory, and poststructuralism.