Habermas, Jürgen

born June 18, 1929

German philosopher associated with the Frankfurt school.

He received his Ph.D. at the University of Bonn in 1954. He taught primarily at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, Ger.; he also directed the Max Planck Institute in Starnberg (1971–80). In his Theory of Communicative Action (1985, 1987), he attempts to develop an account of truth that does not imply that truth is "absolute" or transcendent

i.e., valid for all people and all societies at all times. His "discourse" theory of truth is based on the observation that communication, unlike other forms of human action, is oriented toward "consent" rather than "success," in that it aims to achieve mutual understanding rather to change or master some aspect of the world. The process of constructing such an understanding, however, requires that each individual assume that the utterances of the other are for the most part "true," and that the other can provide reasons to support the truth of his utterances should he be called upon to do so. The notion of truth is thus not a metaphysical fiction but a regulative ideal that makes communication possible.

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