Jürgen Habermas (UK: / ˈ h ɑː b ər m æ s /, US: /-m ɑː s /; [3] German: [ˈjʏʁɡn̩ ˈhaːbɐmaːs] ⓘ; [4] [5] born 18 June 1929) is a German philosopher and social theorist in the tradition of critical theory and pragmatism.His work addresses communicative rationality and the public sphere.. Associated with the Frankfurt School, Habermas's work focuses on the foundations of ...