Critical Theory: A Very Short IntroductionCritical Theory emerged in the 1920s from the work of the Frankfurt School, the circle of German-Jewish academics who sought to diagnose-and, if at all possible, cure-the ills of society, particularly fascism and capitalism. In this book, Stephen Eric Bronner provides sketches of leading representatives of the critical tradition (such as George Luk?cs and Ernst Bloch, Theodor Adorno and Walter Benjamin, Herbert Marcuse and Jurgen Habermas) as well as many of its seminal texts and empirical investigations. This Very Short Introduction sheds light on the cluster of concepts and themes that set critical theory apart from its more traditional philosophical competitors. Bronner explains and discusses concepts such as method and agency, alienation and reification, the culture industry and repressive tolerance, non-identity and utopia. He argues for the introduction of new categories and perspectives for illuminating the obstacles to progressive change and focusing upon hidden transformative possibilities. Only a critique of critical theory can render it salient for a new age. That is precisely what this very short introduction provides. |
Contents
| 1 | |
1 The Frankfurt School | 9 |
2 A matter of method | 20 |
3 Alienation and reification | 35 |
4 Enlightened illusions | 51 |
5 The utopian laboratory | 63 |
6 The happy consciousness | 77 |
7 The great refusal | 89 |
8 From resignation to renewal | 100 |
| 117 | |
| 123 | |
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Common terms and phrases
advanced industrial society aesthetic alienation and reification anthropological assault associated authoritarian autonomy became become Bloch bureaucratic capitalism capitalist character civilization commodity form communism communist concerns confront contest critical theory critique culture industry democracy Dialectic of Enlightenment domination essay ethical existence existential experience false conditions fascism fostering Frankfurt School freedom Fromm genuine Hegel Herbert Marcuse highlighted historical materialism Horkheimer and Adorno humanity idea ideals identified ideology increasingly individual inner circle insisted insofar Institute instrumental rationality intellectual interest interpreted Jürgen Habermas Karl Korsch liberation Lukács Marx’s mass culture Max Horkheimer metaphysical modern movements negation negative dialectics never Nietzsche offer ontology ontology of false organized outlook philosophical political popular practice production progress proletariat psychological radical reality redemption repression resistance revolutionary social subjectivity Theodor W theory of society thinkers totalitarianism totally administered society tradition transformative truth claims turned utopian vision Walter Benjamin Western Marxism young Marx