Jürgen Habermas: Who is the philosopher who rejected a prize from the UAE? At nearly 92, Jürgen Habermas is still advocating for a robust and transparent civil society. Now Germany's greatest living intellectual has rejected an award from the United Arab Emirates. Having lived through the Nazi regime, Habermas was inspired to embolden democracy in Europe and the world The celebrated German philosopher Jürgen Habermas will turn 92 next month, yet he remains firmly in the public eye after accepting, then rejecting, a controversial award from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this past week. Having decided to accept the Sheikh Zayed Book Award — which would have made him Cultural Personality of the Year 2021 and €225,000 ($271,000) richer — Habermas turned it down on Sunday over concerns about human rights in the Gulf nation.