Jürgen Habermas (1929–) is a German philosopher and social theorist who combines the critical theory of the Frankfurt School with American pragmatism. With this combination he is postmodern in his emphasis on public speech and dialogue as a political way of life. His engagements with contemporary thinkers—from Jacques Derrida (1930–2004) to John Rawls (1921–2002) to Pope Benedict XVI (when he was Cardinal Ratzinger)—exemplify his theory. However, it should be noted that unlike most avowed postmodern philosophers, Habermas defends Enlightenment democratic values.