Jürgen Habermas (1929–2026), the influential German philosopher and sociologist, has died aged 96. A leading 20th-century social theorist and a member of the Frankfurt School of critical theory, he championed deliberative democracy and argued that a vibrant public sphere is essential for legitimate governance. His work centred on communicative rationality, democracy and the rule of law, and it shaped debates on democratic theory and European integration, including the European Union.