Jürgen Habermas is perhaps the most influential and widely cited German philosopher and social theorist of his generation. His work centres upon the construction and defence of what he calls the theory of communicative action. This theory is a fundamental exploration of the organisation of advanced capitalist societies. In developing this theory Habermas has written on such theoretical and philosophical issues as the methods and scope of the social, historical and natural sciences; the nature of human agency and human subjectivity; the philosophy of language; and moral philosophy. This theorisation is grounded in an impressive command of the major traditions of social theory and sociology, as well as of German and Anglo-Saxon philosophy.

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First published 30 March 2001

Citation: Edgar, Andrew. "Jürgen Habermas". The Literary Encyclopedia. 30 March 2001.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1925, accessed 9 February 2010.]