Habermas at 90: A personal and professional tribute.

Abstract

As I reflect on Habermas’s contributions to the fields in which I have labored, I am certain that his theories will endure well beyond our own times. In this respect, the analogy between Habermas and Kant strikes me as particularly apt. Kant’s categorical imperative is exemplary though impossible. In a world in which none of us are self-sufficient, we cannot but rely on others as means. And precisely because of that, we should be mindful of the moral ideal according to which every one of us is an end in him/herself. Similarly, in the case of Habermas, pure procedural justification, consensus, and universalization will always remain beyond our horizon, but we should incessantly strive toward them in order to coexist fairly and peacefully in our increasingly pluralistic settings. Finally, constitutional patriotism may never stand alone, but its essence should always remain within our compass. (from Conclusion)