Jurgen Habermas' death ends the illusion of a universal European philosophy

Jurgen Habermas' death ends the illusion of a universal European philosophy Submitted by Hamid Dabashi on Sun, 03/29/2026 - 14:08 The German philosopher's legacy is reassessed through his stance on Gaza, which exposed the limits of European thought long taken as universal German philosopher Jurgen Habermas, who died on 14 March 2026, speaks to journalists at the Philosophical School of Athens on 6 August 2013 (Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP) Off The passing of the pre-eminent German philosopher Jurgen Habermas (1929-2026), at the mature age of 96 and at the height of his global reputation as a formidable critical thinker of his age, cannot be measured in ordinary terms. He was an icon. He died an icon.