This Boston Review article by William Scheuerman makes it clear there is a lot one can learn about democracy from Habermas. The famous intellectual's life has spanned from pre-Hitler Germany to Brexit and Trump. Habermas has thought about the rise of a sort of authoritarian populism and the value of an inclusive and equal public sphere. On top of his intellectual pursuits, he has made a concerted effort to not to restrict his thoughts on democracy to the philosophy seminar room.
But what is philosophy's role in these questions of democracy? Why does Habermas—or any of us, for that matter—value democracy in the first place?
Here's the full link:
http://bostonreview.net/philosophy-religion/william-e-scheuerman-habermas-and-fate-democracy
Also, tune in to this week's show on Habermas and Democracy, which will be broadcast live from the studios of KALW in San Francisco at noon today!