Adorno and the Political

ISBN-13: 9780415289139 / Angielski / Miękka / 2005 / 216 str.

Espen Hammer

Opis

Theodor Adorno was one of the foremost radical thinkers of the Twentieth century. Critic of the Enlightenment, liberalism and modernity, he was the architect behind the famous Frankfurt School of Critical Theory and his work ranged over philosophy, social and cultural theory, art and music. In this lucid book, Espen Hammer critically considers and defends Adorno's most important contribution: his political thought and it contemporary relevance.
Espen Hammer examines the background to Adorno's thought in the work of Kierkegaard, Marx, Weber and Walter Benjamin and assesses Adorno's critique of Enlightenment and modernity in his famous work, Dialectic of Enlightenment. He then considers Adorno's critique of Kant and Hegel and considers Adorno's celebrated theory of negative dialectics. He defends Adorno's against Jurgen Habermas's criticism that Adorno's thought is irrational and subject-centred before considering how Adorno's theory of alterity is evident in the work of Derrida and Levinas.
"Adorno and the Political" is an invigorating exploration of a key political thinker and is also a useful introduction to his thought as a whole. It will be of interest to those in philosophy, sociology and politics.

Recenzje

Hammer's contribution should dispel any rumours that [Adorno's] work is simply apolitical.' - Graduate Faculty Philosophy Journal

'Hammer is to be congratulated for presenting a lucid and consistent case for the significance of Adorno's political thought, doing justice to its complexity while situating it within its specific historical context.' - Howard Caygill, University of London, UK

Spis treści

Acknowledgements  Introduction  1. Permanent Exile: Adorno’s Political Experiences  2. Adorno’s Marxism  3. Approaches to Fascism  4. The Politics of Culture  5. The Persistence of Philosophy  6. The Politics of Aesthetic Negativity  7. The Transformation of Critical Theory  8. Adorno in Contemporary Political Theory  Conclusion  Sources

O autorze

Espen Hammer