Jürgen Habermas

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/j-rgen-habermas

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Jürgen Habermas born?June 18, 1929
2. Where was Jürgen Habermas born?Düsseldorf, Germany
3. Who is Jürgen Habermas?Jürgen Habermas is a German thinker who studies how people talk and make decisions together. He helps us understand democracy and fairness.
4. What is the public sphere?The public sphere is a space where private people meet to discuss public matters, like a big conversation that can influence politics. It started with newspapers and coffee houses.

Lifeworld: The shared background of cultural traditions, social norms, and personal identities that enable social interaction.
Deliberative Democracy: A form of democracy where citizens participate in reasoned public discussion to make collective decisions.
Instrumental Rationality: Reasoning focused on efficiency, control, and achieving specific goals, often at the expense of understanding.