International Symposium in Memory of Jürgen Habermas

„Dass niemand wirklich frei ist, bevor es nicht alle sind.“
International Symposium in Memory of Jürgen Habermas

The event in our calendar.

19.06.2026 | Goethe-University Frankfurt

PROGRAM
15:00 – 15:20
Words of Welcome and Introduction

15:20 – 16:50
Panel “Democracy in Times of Authoritarianism”
Prof. Dr. Simone Chambers (UC Irvine)
Prof. Dr. Peter Gordon (Harvard University)
Prof. Dr. Michael Zürn (Social Science Center Berlin)
Chair: Prof. Dr. Peter Niesen (University of Hamburg)

17:15 – 18:45
Panel “The Communicative Turn in Philosophy and Sociology”
Prof. Dr. Seyla Benhabib (Yale University / Columbia University)
Prof. Dr. Hauke Brunkhorst (Flensburg University)
Prof. Dr. Vera King (Goethe University / Sigmund-Freud-Institute)
Chair: Prof. Dr. Klaus Günther (Goethe University)

19:00 – 20:15
Keynote: „Der normative Eigensinn des Anderen. Habermas im Dialog mit Adorno“
Prof. Dr. Axel Honneth (Goethe-Universität / Columbia University)
Chair: Prof. Dr. Rainer Forst (Goethe-Universität)

ABSTRACT
Following the commemorative event for Jürgen Habermas in St. Paul’s Church (Paulskirche), to which the City of Frankfurt has invited together with Goethe University and Suhrkamp Verlag, this international symposium brings together renowned scholars to discuss the works and thoughts of the deceased philosopher and sociologist as well as take a look at the future of Critical Theory.

Towards the end of his life, Jürgen Habermas saw democracy in crisis. The erosion is advancing, „ever since politics has more or less resigned vis-à-vis the markets“, he put it in one if his last interviews. With the shift to the right, the technological changes and growing inequalities, his plea for a democracies being based on communicative reason is more pressing then ever. What can we learn from his works about how to defend against the attacks on democracy and human dignity? What changes are necessary, to fulfil his ideal of an emancipation through communicative reason? Where is Critical Theory headed after the death of its most important thinker?

ORGANIZED BY
Prof. Dr. Rainer Forst, Prof. Dr. Klaus Günther & Prof. Dr. Peter Niesen
Research Centre Normative Orders of the Goethe University
in cooperation with Suhrkamp Verlag