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:''Habermas redirects here. For the Christian apologist and theologian, see [[Gary Habermas]].''

'''Jürgen Habermas''' (born [[June 18]], [[1929]] in [[Düsseldorf]]) is a [[Germany|German]] [[philosopher]], [[political scientist]] and [[sociologist]] in the tradition of [[critical theory]]. His work has been called [[Neo-Marxism|Neo-Marxist]], and focuses on the foundations of social theory and [[epistemology]], the analysis of advanced [[capitalist]] [[industrial society]] and of [[democracy]], the [[rule of law]] in a critical [[Sociocultural evolution|social-evolutionary context]], and contemporary (especially German) [[politics]]. He is best known for his concept of the [[public sphere]]. He developed a theoretical system devoted to revealing the possibility of reason, emancipation and rational-critical communication embedded in modern liberal institutions and in the human capabilities to communicate, deliberate and pursue rational interests.

===The public sphere===

Jürgen Habermas wrote extensively on the concept of the [[public sphere]], using accounts of dialogue that took place in [[coffee house]]s in 18th century [[England]]. It was this public sphere of rational debate on matters of political importance, made possible by the development of the [[bourgeoise culture]] centered around coffeehouses, intellectual and [[literary salon]]s, and the [[print media]] that helped to make [[parliamentary democracy]] possible and which promoted Enlightenment ideals of equality, human rights and justice. The public sphere was guided by a norm of rational argumentation and critical discussion in which the strength of one's argument was more important than one's identity.

*[http://www.csudh.edu/dearhabermas/ 'Dear Habermas' academic journal]

*[http://habermasians.blogspot.com/ Habermasian Reflections blog]

[[Category:Frankfurt School|Habermas, Jürgen]]

[[Category:Marxist theory|Habermas, Jürgen]]

[[Category:Philosophy]]

[[Category:People]]

[[Category:Culture]]

[[Category:Politics]]