Written by Horkheimer and Adorno in exile, the Dialectic of Enlightenment investigates the failure of human liberation and the erection of new forms of domination. For the first time, this seminal text of critical theory is interpreted in a commentary that analyzes each section of the work. The authors also situate the work in its theoretical context (Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Freud) and examine the history of its impact.