Deliberative Democracy In Turbulent Times: Post-Habermasian Reflections

This session takes stock of the legacy of Jürgen Habermas (1929–2026) and revisits deliberative democracy in an era marked by democratic backsliding, epistemic fragmentation (“alternative facts”), increasing inequality, and global crises. The session intends to foreground Habermas’s enduring contributions—especially his theory of communicative action, public sphere, and discourse ethics—while examining how contemporary conditions strain the normative and institutional foundations of deliberative democracy.

Contributions are invited to explore three interconnected themes: (1) interpretations and extensions of Habermas’s work in light of recent social, political, economic, cultural, and technological changes; (2) empirical and theoretical analyses of challenges to deliberative democracy, including authoritarian resurgence, polarization, misinformation, and declining trust in public institutions; and (3) proposals for renewing or reimagining deliberative democratic practices, ranging from institutional design to emergent forms of civic engagement.

The session format is planned to include paper presentations and brief integrative comments by a discussant, followed by audience participation in the form of Q&A. The session aims to foster a critical yet constructive conversation about the future of deliberative democracy, asking what remains viable, what requires revision, and what new directions might be necessary in a post-Habermasian world.