[FRA:] Marcuse question

[Kenneth MacKendrick]

-----Original Message-----
From: theory-frankfurt-school-bounces at srcf.ucam.org
[mailto:theory-frankfurt-school-bounces at srcf.ucam.org] On Behalf Of simon
smith
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 12:32 PM
To: Discussion of Frankfurt School critical theory
Subject: Re: [FRA:] Marcuse question

I like Simon Jarvis' notion of 'serious play' to describe what Adorno 
and Horkheimer are doing in the excursus. "The account of 
'enlightenment'... is not an account of a historical period, however 
broad, but an attempt to decipher the pre-history of our own 
instrumental rationality..." (Jarvis 'Adorno' p26.) Odysseus' offended 
pride at the idea that his hand-crafted bed could be moved, when, as he 
explains in great detail - over 18 lines - how he fashioned it all by 
_himself_ is really quite odd, and the leap of imagination with which 
Adorno compares his attitude to the property-owning DIY hobbyist, who 
uses his privileged spare time to do as a hobby what to his underlings 
is a means for survival, is both comic and as Jarvis puts it, 
'burlesque'. Is this the sort of thing 'that cannot survive being taken
literally'?

** I liked Jarvis's book on Adorno, I really did. But I have a strong
aversion to "serious play," perhaps stemming from my aversion to Gadamer's
hermeneutics, where play takes a central role. I would rather a research
institute focus on deciphering an account of an historical period (like, I
don't know, the role of torture during the inquisition) than speculate on
the origin of instrumental reason in pre-history. And, just as a comment,
Odysseus's attitude isn't like the DIY hobbyist. Odysseus crafted the bed
metaphorically, because the marriage bed is the centre of the world or
something. It expresses patriarchal power and sternly, and coercively,
subordinates women. The DIY hobbyist isn't necessarily a misogynist, even if
they build a bed out of the oak tree that fell in their backyard last
summer. You make it sound as though Adorno was opposed to people working
less at their job in order to spend time diversifying their skills. "Without
the division of labour society wouldn't work." Well, what can I say, Adorno
never did like the anarchists.

ken