[FRA:] Language, Mythology, and Enlightenment

[Claus D. Hansen]

Matthew,

I would hesitate quoting that particular text from Honneth without making
some reservations. Honneth was indeed very critical of Adorno in the 1980's
something which 'culminated' in his book on Power: 'A Critique of Power'
where he raises a very harsh criticism of Adorno and Horkheimers work - not
so much the Dialectic of Enligtenment but more the implications of some
their 'hypotheses' (e.g. those related to the culture industry).

Honneth was afterwards heavily criticized for not taking into consideration
the aesthetic parts of especially Adorno's argument and as far as I know he
has left behind his critique of Adorno and in fact embraced some aspects of
it. 

(The Possibility of a Disclosing Critique of Society: The Dialectic of
Enlightenment in Light of Current Debates in Social Criticism in
Constellations, Vol 7(1), 2000)

Claus

-----Original Message-----
From: theory-frankfurt-school-bounces at srcf.ucam.org
[mailto:theory-frankfurt-school-bounces at srcf.ucam.org] On Behalf Of matthew
piscioneri
Sent: 31. januar 2007 00:26
To: theory-frankfurt-school at srcf.ucam.org
Subject: Re: [FRA:] Language, Mythology, and Enlightenment

Ralph,

>Schmidt would argue that your conclusion is patently false, that Horkheimer
>and Adorno intended no such thing.

H& A's pessimism/nihilism: theoretical or practical? Honneth in 
"Communication and reconciliation: Habermas's Critique of Adorno" (Telos 39 
(1979), pp.45-61.) writes:

"Adorno's theory is so strongly determined by its view of history as a 
series of catastrophes that it cannot commit itself to an idea of historical

progress which goes beyond total reification." (p47)

""Adorno's critical theory retracts both claims concerning the emancipatory 
significance of aesthetic theory and negative dialectics." (p47)

Still, I have conflated "pessimism" with "nihilism". Clearly, "nihilism" is 
far more normatively-laden, and you're right, it's inappropriate to label 
Horkheimer and/or Adorno as such.

_________________________________________________________________
Advertisement: Meet Sexy Singles Today @ Lavalife - Click here  
http://a.ninemsn.com.au/b.aspx?URL=http%3A%2F%2Flavalife9%2Eninemsn%2Ecom%2E
au%2Fclickthru%2Fclickthru%2Eact%3Fid%3Dninemsn%26context%3Dan99%26locale%3D
en%5FAU%26a%3D23769&_t=754951090&_r=endtext_lavalife_dec_meet&_m=EXT


_______________________________________________
theory-frankfurt-school mailing list
theory-frankfurt-school at srcf.ucam.org
http://www.srcf.ucam.org/mailman/listinfo/theory-frankfurt-school