[FRA:] Frankfurt School philosophy syllabus: draft

[Ralph Dumain]

Thanks for your feedback and suggestions.

There's a certain artificiality in separating out the components of 
critical theory. In Marcuse's case, such a task approaches the 
ridiculous.  For example, I should include Marcuse's landmark 1932 essay 
"The Foundation of Historical Materialism."  I need to consult with my 
co-organizer on this syllabus in any event, because I doubt he completely 
shares my perspective.  I have two problems here:

(1) trying to do two, maybe three, things at once: (1a) reviewing the 
project of critical theory as a whole, (1b) proceeding from its historical 
development, (2) critically examining its strictly philosophical foundations;

(2) navigating back and forth between primary texts I'd like to analyze in 
detail and secondary works that would provide a more complete background 
and explanation of the ideas of critical theory.  I haven't yet figured out 
how to use the secondary works.  For example, Wiggershaus and Jay are the 
classics (in English, now) on the history of the Frankfurt School, but 
neither are introductory textbooks.

I wonder whether David Ingram's _Critical Theory and Philosophy_ might be 
usable here.  I have it in my library but haven't looked it over.

I just acquired _Aspects of Sociology_.  It came out in the '50s, but it 
might be useful to compare the Institute's self-conception in the '50s with 
the program of the '30s.

As for primary texts and the coverage of political philosophy (as well as 
psychoanalysis, aesthetics, the young Marx, etc.), my guess is that we will 
need a Phase 2 to incorporate these elements of the 1930s work, before even 
moving into the 1940s.

At 08:32 PM 2/19/2006 +0100, Alon Lischinsky wrote:
>The syllabus seems pretty comprehensive, although I don't fully understand 
>your
>reasons for leaving political philosophy out of the question. Adorno's 
>notion of
>late capitalism was integral to his epistemological and psychological 
>inquiries.
>
>I have found Adorno's _Idee der Naturgeschichte_ to be a very interesting
>complement to _Aktualität der Philosophie_, specially if you're interested in
>fleshing out Benjamin's influence onhis early thought (or even in his later
>works: _Negative Dialektik_ 3.2 is in direct connection to this early work,
>quoting it extensively).
>
>As regards secondary literature, I have found van Reijen's book of little use.
>
>Best,
>
>Alon