FW: Adorno's Pessimism

[Philip Hancock]

However recent research shows that nine out of ten critical theorists prefer 
Adorno to the Situationists ;->
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From: owner-frankfurt-school
To: frankfurt-school
Subject: RE: Adorno's Pessimism
Date: 10 May 1996 15:41

On Fri, 10 May 1996, Philip Hancock wrote:

> What I find re-invigorating about Adorno's pessimism, is that it
> acknowledges itself, while simultaineously maintainig the possibility and
> indeed vitality of critique. This is, it seems to me, increasingly
important
> in the face of a postmodern onslaught whose only respone to the 'Dialectic 

> of Enlightenment' as articulated by Adorno, is to deny the effaciousness 
of
> critique, surrendering instead to the headonism of a 'culture industry'
> which demands not only upon obedience, but celebration.

Whenever I feel a need for self-acknowledging pessimism that maintains
the possibility and vitality of critique, I find myself much preferring
the Situationist International to Adorno.

T P Uschanov, University of Helsinki, Finland, European Union
tuschano@cc.helsinki.fi ### http://www.helsinki.fi/~tuschano/
      "Omnia praeclara tam difficilia, quam rara sunt."
                 (Baruch Spinoza, 1632-1677)