Quotes by Jurgen Habermas

About Jurgen Habermas:

Jürgen Habermas is a German sociologist and philosopher in the tradition of critical theory and pragmatism. He is perhaps best known for his theories on communicative rationality and the public sphere. Global polls consistently find that Habermas is widely recognized as one of the world's leading intellectuals.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

The difference between political terror and ordinary crime becomes clear during the change of regimes, in which former terrorists become well-regarded representatives of their country.

Jurgen Habermas

The scenarios of biological or chemical warfare painted in detail by the American media during the months after September 11 only betray the inability of the government to determine the magnitude of the danger.

Jurgen Habermas

The clever, albeit fragile, coalition against terrorism brought together by the U.S. government might be able to advance the transition from classical international law to a cosmopolitan order.

Jurgen Habermas

If the September 11 terror attack is supposed to constitute a caesura in world history, it must be able to stand comparison to other events of world historical impact.

Jurgen Habermas

Perhaps at a later point important developments will be traced back to September 11. But for now we do not know which of the many scenarios will actually hold in the future.

Jurgen Habermas

Today's Islamic fundamentalism is also a cover for political motifs. We should not overlook the political motifs we encounter in forms of religious fanaticism.

Jurgen Habermas

The uncertainty of the danger belongs to the essence of terrorism.

Jurgen Habermas

What was new was the symbolic force of the targets struck. The attackers did not just physically cause the highest buildings in Manhattan to collapse; they also destroyed an icon in the household imagery of the American nation.

Jurgen Habermas

The state is in danger of falling into disrepute due to the evidence of its inadequate resources.

Jurgen Habermas

Since the intervention in Afghanistan, we suddenly began to notice when, in political discussions, we found ourselves only among Europeans or Israelis.

Jurgen Habermas

Since our complex societies are highly susceptible to interferences and accidents, they certainly offer ideal opportunities for a prompt disruption of normal activities.

Jurgen Habermas

Perhaps September 11 could be called the first historic world event in the strictest sense: the impact, the explosion, the slow collapse - a gruesome reality literally took place in front of a global public.

Jurgen Habermas

Osama bin Laden, the person, more likely serves the function of a stand-in. Compare the new terrorists with partisans or conventional terrorists in Israel. These people often fight in a decentralized manner in small, autonomous units, too.

Jurgen Habermas

One never really knows who one's enemy is.

Jurgen Habermas

Manhattan... capital of the 20th century, a city that has fascinated me for more than three decades.

Jurgen Habermas

In the U.S.A. or Europe there is no realistic way to estimate the type, magnitude, or probability of the risk, nor any way to narrow down the potentially affected regions.

Jurgen Habermas

I cannot imagine a context that would some day, in some manner, make the monstrous crime of September 11 an understandable or comprehensible political act.

Jurgen Habermas

Historically, terrorism falls in a category different from crimes that concern a criminal court judge.

Jurgen Habermas

Global terrorism is extreme both in its lack of realistic goals and in its cynical exploitation of the vulnerability of complex systems.

Jurgen Habermas

From a moral point of view, there is no excuse for terrorist acts, regardless of the motive or the situation under which they are carried out.

Jurgen Habermas

Author Bio

  • NameJurgen Habermas
  • DescriptionGerman sociologist and philosopher
  • AliasesJurgen Habermas
  • BornJune 18, 1929
  • CountryGermany
  • ProfessionSociologist; Philosopher
  • AwardsGeschwister-Scholl-Preis; Wilhelm Leuschner Medal; Erasmus Prize; Holberg International Memorial Prize; Theodor W. Adorno Award; Peace Prize Of The German Book Trade; Princess Of Asturias Award - Social Sciences;