Things Needed to Get Better: Conversations with Stefan Müller-Doohm and Roman Yos

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Jürgen Habermas (Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt) Wieland Hoban

Things Needed to Get Better

Name: Things Needed to Get Better
Price: 41.95 AUD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781509567270

Conversations with Stefan Müller-Doohm and Roman Yos

Jürgen Habermas (Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt), Wieland Hoban

$41.95

Hardback

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English

Polity Press
16 February 2026

Philosophy; Social & political philosophy

In this book Jürgen Habermas offers a wide-ranging reflection on his life and work and on the factors that shaped the development of his thought. He discusses the motives behind his work, the circumstances under which it emerged and the changes it has undergone over the course of his long and productive career. He speaks about the events and the texts that played a decisive role in his thinking and he recounts key encounters with colleagues. The image that emerges is that of a richly intertwined network of relationships which covers large swathes of the intellectual map of the twentieth century and reaches through to the present day.

Looking back at the development of his thought, Habermas discusses the specific historical circumstances that shaped his generation, identifies key experiences with his intellectual mentors, explores recent historical tendencies and political beliefs and talks about his own scholarly works and their reception. Time and again we see the normative impulse that lies behind so much of Habermas’s work: ‘I view the attempt to make the world even the tiniest bit better, or even just to be part of the effort to stave off the constant threats of regression that we face, as an utterly admirable motive.’

This autobiographical self-reflection by one of the greatest philosophers of our time will be of interest to a wide readership.

By: Jürgen Habermas (Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt)
Translated by: Wieland Hoban
Imprint: Polity Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 218mm, Width: 147mm, Spine: 28mm
Weight: 363g
ISBN: 9781509567270
ISBN 10: 1509567275
Pages: 192
Publication Date: 16 February 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

1 Beginnings of an Academic Biography 2 Frankfurt, a New World and the Old Heidelberg 3 From the Critique of Positivism to the Critique of Functionalist Reason 4 Postmetaphysical Thinking and Detranscendentalized Reason 5 Looking Back on Also a History of Philosophy 6 In Philosophical Discourse with Friends and Colleagues Editor’s Note Notes Index

Jürgen Habermas is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt and one of the leading philosophers and social and political thinkers in the world today.

Reviews for Things Needed to Get Better: Conversations with Stefan Müller-Doohm and Roman Yos

“Philosopher, social theorist, political gadfly – no single phrase can suffice to summarize the enormous intellectual impact of Jürgen Habermas in the modern era. His contributions to critical theory have transformed our thinking both within and beyond the precinct of critical theory. In this wide-ranging interview, Habermas reflects on his development and his legacy. A truly indispensable volume.” Peter E. Gordon, Harvard University