NEW DARK AGE The Frankfurt School and Political Correctness-25

1/11/2016
Schiller InstituteTHE NEW DARK AGE The Frankfurt School and "Political Correctness"
Home | Search | About | Fidelio | Economy | Strategy | Justice | Conferences | Join

Highlights | Calendar | Music | Books | Concerts | Links| Education| Health
What's New | LaRouche | Spanish Pages | Poetry |Maps
Dialogue of Cultures
SCHILLERINSTITUTE
ThisarticleisreprintedfromtheWinter,1992issueofFIDELIOMagazine.
Fidelio19921996
Fidelio19972001
Fidelio20022006
Related
Vol1,No1
http://www.schillerinstitute.org/fid_91-96/921_frankfurt.html
1/25
1/11/2016
1992
ThepeopleofNorthAmericaandWesternEuropenowacceptalevelofuglinessintheirdaily
liveswhichisalmostwithoutprecedentinthehistoryofWesterncivilization.Mostofushave
becomesoinured,thatthedeathofmillionsfromstarvationanddiseasedrawsfromusnomore
thanasigh,oramurmurofprotest.Ourowncitystreets,hometolegionsofthehomeless,are
ruledbyDope,Inc.,thelargestindustryintheworld,andonthosestreetsAmericansnowmurder
eachotherataratenotseensincetheDarkAges.
Atthesametime,athousandsmallerhorrorsaresocommonplaceastogounnoticed.Our
childrenspendasmuchtimesittinginfrontoftelevisionsetsastheydoinschool,watchingwith
glee,scenesoftortureanddeathwhichmighthaveshockedanaudienceintheRomanColiseum.
Musiciseverywhere,almostunavoidablebutitdoesnotuplift,noreventranquilizeitclaws
attheears,sometimesspittingoutanobscenity.Ourplasticartsareugly,ourarchitectureisugly,
ourclothesareugly.Therehavecertainlybeenperiodsinhistorywheremankindhaslived
throughsimilarkindsofbrutishness,butourtimeiscruciallydifferent.OurpostWorldWarII
eraisthefirstinhistoryinwhichthesehorrorsarecompletelyavoidable.Ourtimeisthefirstto
havethetechnologyandresourcestofeed,house,educate,andhumanelyemployeveryperson
onearth,nomatterwhatthegrowthofpopulation.Yet,whenshowntheideasandproven
technologiesthatcansolvethemosthorrendousproblems,mostpeopleretreatintoimplacable
passivity.Wehavebecomenotonlyugly,butimpotent.
Nonetheless,thereisnoreasonwhyourcurrentmoralculturalsituationhadtolawfullyor
naturallyturnoutasithasandthereisnoreasonwhythistyrannyofuglinessshouldcontinue
oneinstantlonger.
Considerthesituationjustonehundredyearsago,intheearly1890's.Inmusic,ClaudeDebussy
wascompletinghisPreludetotheAfternoonofaFaun,andArnoldSchnbergwasbeginningto
experimentwithatonalismatthesametime,DvorakwasworkingonhisNinthSymphony,
whileBrahmsandVerdistilllived.EdvardMunchwasshowingTheScream,andPaulGauguin
hisSelfPortraitwithHalo,butinAmerica,ThomasEakinswasstillpaintingandteaching.
MechanistslikeHelmholtzandMachheldmajoruniversitychairsofscience,alongsidethe
studentsofRiemannandCantor.PopeLeoXIII'sDeRerumNovarumwasbeingpromulgated,
evenassectionsoftheSocialistSecondInternationalwereturningterrorist,andpreparingfor
classwar.
TheoptimisticbeliefthatonecouldcomposemusiclikeBeethoven,paintlikeRembrandt,study
theuniverselikePlatoandNicolausofCusa,andchangeworldsocietywithoutviolence,was
aliveinthe1890'sadmittedly,itwasweak,andundersiege,butitwashardlydead.Yet,within
twentyshortyears,theseClassicaltraditionsofhumancivilizationhadbeenallbutsweptaway,
andtheWesthadcommitteditselftoaseriesofwarsofinconceivablecarnage.
Whatstartedaboutahundredyearsago,waswhatmightbecalledacounterRenaissance.The
Renaissanceofthefifteenthandsixteenthcenturieswasareligiouscelebrationofthehumansoul
andmankind'spotentialforgrowth.Beautyinartcouldnotbeconceivedofasanythinglessthan
theexpressionofthemostadvancedscientificprinciples,asdemonstratedbythegeometryupon
whichLeonardo'sperspectiveandBrunelleschi'sgreatDomeofFlorenceCathedralarebased.
Thefinestmindsofthedayturnedtheirthoughtstotheheavensandthemightywaters,and
mappedthesolarsystemandtheroutetotheNewWorld,planninggreatprojectstoturnthe
courseofriversforthebettermentofmankind.Aboutahundredyearsago,itwasasthougha
2/25
1/11/2016
longchecklisthadbeendrawnup,withallofthewonderfulachievementsoftheRenaissance
itemizedeachtobereversed.Aspartofthis"NewAge"movement,asitwasthencalled,the
conceptofthehumansoulwasunderminedbythemostvociferousintellectualcampaignin
historyartwasforciblyseparatedfromscience,andscienceitselfwasmadetheobjectofdeep
suspicion.Artwasmadeuglybecause,itwassaid,lifehadbecomeugly.
TheculturalshiftawayfromtheRenaissanceideasthatbuiltthemodernworld,wasduetoa
kindoffreemasonryofugliness.Inthebeginning,itwasaformalpoliticalconspiracyto
popularizetheoriesthatwerespecificallydesignedtoweakenthesoulofJudeoChristian
civilizationinsuchawayastomakepeoplebelievethatcreativitywasnotpossible,that
adherencetouniversaltruthwasevidenceofauthoritarianism,andthatreasonitselfwassuspect.
Thisconspiracywasdecisiveinplanninganddeveloping,asmeansofsocialmanipulation,the
vastnewsisterindustriesofradio,television,film,recordedmusic,advertising,andpublic
opinionpolling.Thepervasivepsychologicalholdofthemediawaspurposelyfosteredtocreate
thepassivityandpessimismwhichafflictourpopulationstoday.Sosuccessfulwasthis
conspiracy,thatithasbecomeembeddedinourcultureitnolongerneedstobea"conspiracy,"
forithastakenonalifeofitsown.Itssuccessesarenotdebatableyouneedonlyturnonthe
radioortelevision.EventhenominationofaSupremeCourtJusticeisdeformedintoanerotic
soapopera,withtheaudiencerootingfromthesidelinesfortheirfavoritecharacter.
Ouruniversities,thecradleofourtechnologicalandintellectualfuture,havebecome
overwhelmedbyCominternstyleNewAge"PoliticalCorrectness."Withthecollapseofthe
SovietUnion,ourcampusesnowrepresentthelargestconcentrationofMarxistdogmainthe
world.Theirrationaladolescentoutburstsofthe1960'shavebecomeinstitutionalizedintoa
"permanentrevolution."Ourprofessorsglanceovertheirshoulders,hopingthecurrentmodewill
blowoverbeforeastudent'sdenunciationobliteratesalife'sworksomeaudiotapetheirlectures,
fearingaccusationsof"insensitivity"bysomeenraged"RedGuard."StudentsattheUniversity
ofVirginiarecentlypetitionedsuccessfullytodroptherequirementtoreadHomer,Chaucer,and
otherDEMS("DeadEuropeanMales")becausesuchwritingsareconsideredethnocentric,
phallocentric,andgenerallyinferiortothe"morerelevant"ThirdWorld,female,orhomosexual
authors.
ThisisnottheacademyofarepublicthisisHitler'sGestapoandStalin'sNKVDrootingout
"deviationists,"andbanningbookstheonlythingmissingisthepublicbonfire.
Wewillhavetofacethefactthattheuglinessweseearoundushasbeenconsciouslyfostered
andorganizedinsuchaway,thatamajorityofthepopulationislosingthecognitiveabilityto
transmittothenextgeneration,theideasandmethodsuponwhichourcivilizationwasbuilt.The
lossofthatabilityistheprimaryindicatorofaDarkAge.And,anewDarkAgeisexactlywhat
wearein.Insuchsituations,therecordofhistoryisunequivocal:eitherwecreateaRenaissance
arebirthofthefundamentalprinciplesuponwhichcivilizationoriginatedor,ourcivilization
dies.
I.TheFrankfurtSchool:BolshevikIntelligentsia
Thesingle,mostimportantorganizationalcomponentofthisconspiracywasaCommunist
thinktankcalledtheInstituteforSocialResearch(I.S.R.),butpopularlyknownastheFrankfurt
School.
IntheheadydaysimmediatelyaftertheBolshevikRevolutioninRussia,itwaswidelybelieved
thatproletarianrevolutionwouldmomentarilysweepoutoftheUralsintoEuropeand,
3/25
1/11/2016
ultimately,NorthAmerica.Itdidnottheonlytwoattemptsatworkers'governmentintheWest
inMunichandBudapestlastedonlymonths.TheCommunistInternational(Comintern)
thereforebeganseveraloperationstodeterminewhythiswasso.OnesuchwasheadedbyGeorg
Lukacs,aHungarianaristocrat,sonofoneoftheHapsburgEmpire'sleadingbankers.Trainedin
Germanyandalreadyanimportantliterarytheorist,LukacsbecameaCommunistduringWorld
WarI,writingashejoinedtheparty,"WhowillsaveusfromWesterncivilization?"Lukacswas
wellsuitedtotheCominterntask:hehadbeenoneoftheCommissarsofCultureduringthe
shortlivedHungarianSovietinBudapestin1919infact,modernhistorianslinktheshortnessof
theBudapestexperimenttoLukacs'ordersmandatingsexeducationintheschools,easyaccess
tocontraception,andthelooseningofdivorcelawsallofwhichrevulsedHungary'sRoman
Catholicpopulation.
FleeingtotheSovietUnionafterthecounterrevolution,LukacswassecretedintoGermanyin
1922,wherehechairedameetingofCommunistorientedsociologistsandintellectuals.This
meetingfoundedtheInstituteforSocialResearch.Overthenextdecade,theInstituteworkedout
whatwastobecometheComintern'smostsuccessfulpsychologicalwarfareoperationagainstthe
capitalistWest.
LukacsidentifiedthatanypoliticalmovementcapableofbringingBolshevismtotheWestwould
havetobe,inhiswords,"demonic"itwouldhaveto"possessthereligiouspowerwhichis
capableoffillingtheentiresoulapowerthatcharacterizedprimitiveChristianity."However,
Lukacssuggested,sucha"messianic"politicalmovementcouldonlysucceedwhenthe
individualbelievesthathisorheractionsaredeterminedby"notapersonaldestiny,butthe
destinyofthecommunity"inaworld"thathasbeenabandonedbyGod[emphasisadded
MJM]."BolshevismworkedinRussiabecausethatnationwasdominatedbyapeculiargnostic
formofChristiantytypifiedbythewritingsofFyodorDostoyevsky."Themodelforthenewman
isAlyoshaKaramazov,"saidLukacs,referringtotheDostoyevskycharacterwhowillinglygave
overhispersonalidentitytoaholyman,andthusceasedtobe"unique,pure,andtherefore
abstract."
Thisabandonmentofthesoul'suniquenessalsosolvestheproblemof"thediabolicforces
lurkinginallviolence"whichmustbeunleashedinordertocreatearevolution.Inthiscontext,
LukacscitedtheGrandInquisitorsectionofDostoyevsky'sTheBrothersKaramazov,notingthat
theInquisitorwhoisinterrogatingJesus,hasresolvedtheissueofgoodandevil:oncemanhas
understoodhisalienationfromGod,thenanyactintheserviceofthe"destinyofthecommunity"
isjustifiedsuchanactcanbe"neithercrimenormadness....Forcrimeandmadnessare
objectificationsoftranscendentalhomelessness."
Accordingtoaneyewitness,duringmeetingsoftheHungarianSovietleadershipin1919todraw
uplistsforthefiringsquad,LukacswouldoftenquotetheGrandInquisitor:"Andwewho,for
theirhappiness,havetakentheirsinsuponourselves,westandbeforeyouandsay,'Judgeusif
youcanandifyoudare.'"
TheProblemofGenesis
WhatdifferentiatedtheWestfromRussia,Lukacsidentified,wasaJudeoChristiancultural
matrixwhichemphasizedexactlytheuniquenessandsacrednessoftheindividualwhichLukacs
abjured.Atitscore,thedominantWesternideologymaintainedthattheindividual,throughthe
exerciseofhisorherreason,coulddiscerntheDivineWillinanunmediatedrelationship.What
wasworse,fromLukacs'standpoint:thisreasonablerelationshipnecessarilyimpliedthatthe
individualcouldandshouldchangethephysicaluniverseinpursuitoftheGoodthatManshould
4/25
1/11/2016
havedominionoverNature,asstatedintheBiblicalinjunctioninGenesis.Theproblemwas,that
aslongastheindividualhadthebelieforeventhehopeofthebeliefthathisorherdivine
sparkofreasoncouldsolvetheproblemsfacingsociety,thenthatsocietywouldneverreachthe
stateofhopelessnessandalienationwhichLukacsrecognizedasthenecessaryprerequisitefor
socialistrevolution.
ThetaskoftheFrankfurtSchool,then,wasfirst,tounderminetheJudeoChristianlegacy
throughan"abolitionofculture"(AufhebungderKulturinLukacs'German)and,second,to
determinenewculturalformswhichwouldincreasethealienationofthepopulation,thus
creatinga"newbarbarism."Tothistask,theregatheredinandaroundtheFrankfurtSchoolan
incredibleassortmentofnotonlyCommunists,butalsononpartysocialists,radical
phenomenologists,Zionists,renegadeFreudians,andatleastafewmembersofaselfidentified
"cultofAstarte."Thevariegatedmembershipreflected,toacertainextent,thesponsorship:
althoughtheInstituteforSocialResearchstartedwithCominternsupport,overthenextthree
decadesitssourcesoffundsincludedvariousGermanandAmericanuniversities,theRockefeller
Foundation,ColumbiaBroadcastingSystem,theAmericanJewishCommittee,severalAmerican
intelligenceservices,theOfficeoftheU.S.HighCommissionerforGermany,theInternational
LabourOrganization,andtheHackerInstitute,aposhpsychiatricclinicinBeverlyHills.
Similarly,theInstitute'spoliticalallegiances:althoughtoppersonnelmaintainedwhatmightbe
calledasentimentalrelationshiptotheSovietUnion(andthereisevidencethatsomeofthem
workedforSovietintelligenceintothe1960's),theInstitutesawitsgoalsashigherthanthatof
Russianforeignpolicy.Stalin,whowashorrifiedattheundisciplined,"cosmopolitan"operation
setupbyhispredecessors,cuttheInstituteoffinthelate1920's,forcingLukacsinto"self
criticism,"andbrieflyjailinghimasaGermansympathizerduringWorldWarII.
LukacssurvivedtobrieflytakeuphisoldpostasMinisterofCultureduringtheantiStalinist
ImreNagyregimeinHungary.OftheothertopInstitutefigures,thepoliticalperambulationsof
HerbertMarcusearetypical.HestartedasaCommunistbecameaprotgofphilosopher
MartinHeideggerevenasthelatterwasjoiningtheNaziPartycomingtoAmerica,heworked
fortheWorldWarIIOfficeofStrategicServices(OSS),andlaterbecametheU.S.State
Department'stopanalystofSovietpolicyduringtheheightoftheMcCarthyperiodinthe
1960's,heturnedagain,tobecomethemostimportantguruoftheNewLeftandheendedhis
dayshelpingtofoundtheenvironmentalistextremistGreenPartyinWestGermany.
Inallthisseemingincoherenceofshiftingpositionsandcontradictoryfunding,thereisno
ideologicalconflict.TheinvariantisthedesireofallpartiestoanswerLukacs'originalquestion:
"WhowillsaveusfromWesterncivilization?"
TheodorAdornoandWalterBenjamin
Perhapsthemostimportant,ifleastknown,oftheFrankfurtSchool'ssuccesseswastheshaping
oftheelectronicmediaofradioandtelevisionintothepowerfulinstrumentsofsocialcontrol
whichtheyrepresenttoday.Thisgrewoutoftheworkoriginallydonebytwomenwhocameto
theInstituteinthelate1920's,TheodorAdornoandWalterBenjamin.
AftercompletingstudiesattheUniversityofFrankfurt,WalterBenjaminplannedtoemigrateto
Palestinein1924withhisfriendGershomScholem(wholaterbecameoneofIsrael'smost
famousphilosophers,aswellasJudaism'sleadinggnostic),butwaspreventedbyaloveaffair
withAsjaLacis,aLatvianactressandCominternstringer.LaciswhiskedhimofftotheItalian
islandofCapri,acultcenterfromthetimeoftheEmperorTiberius,thenusedasaComintern
5/25
1/11/2016
trainingbasetheheretoforeapoliticalBenjaminwroteScholemfromCapri,thathehadfound
"anexistentialliberationandanintensiveinsightintotheactualityofradicalcommunism."
LacislatertookBenjamintoMoscowforfurtherindoctrination,wherehemetplaywrightBertolt
Brecht,withwhomhewouldbeginalongcollaborationsoonthereafter,whileworkingonthe
firstGermantranslationofthedrugenthusiastFrenchpoetBaudelaire,Benjaminbeganserious
experimentationwithhallucinogens.In1927,hewasinBerlinaspartofagroupledbyAdorno,
studyingtheworksofLukacsothermembersofthestudygroupincludedBrechtandhis
composerpartnerKurtWeillHansEisler,anothercomposerwhowouldlaterbecomea
HollywoodfilmscorecomposerandcoauthorwithAdornoofthetextbookCompositionforthe
FilmtheavantgardephotographerImreMoholyNagyandtheconductorOttoKlemperer.
From1928to1932,AdornoandBenjaminhadanintensivecollaboration,attheendofwhich
theybeganpublishingarticlesintheInstitute'sjournal,theZeitschriftfrSozialforschung.
BenjaminwaskeptonthemarginsoftheInstitute,largelyduetoAdorno,whowouldlater
appropriatemuchofhiswork.AsHitlercametopower,theInstitute'sstafffled,but,whereas
mostwerequicklyspiritedawaytonewdeploymentsintheU.S.andEngland,therewerenojob
offersforBenjamin,probablyduetotheanimusofAdorno.HewenttoFrance,and,afterthe
Germaninvasion,fledtotheSpanishborderexpectingmomentaryarrestbytheGestapo,he
despairedanddiedinadingyhotelroomofselfadministereddrugoverdose.
Benjamin'sworkremainedalmostcompletelyunknownuntil1955,whenScholemandAdorno
publishedaneditionofhismaterialinGermany.Thefullrevivaloccurredin1968,when
HannahArendt,Heidegger'sformermistressandacollaboratoroftheInstituteinAmerica,
publishedamajorarticleonBenjaminintheNewYorkermagazine,followedinthesameyearby
thefirstEnglishtranslationsofhiswork.Today,everyuniversitybookstoreinthecountryboasts
afullshelfdevotedtotranslationsofeveryscrapBenjaminwrote,plusexegesis,allwith1980's
copyrightdates.
AdornowasyoungerthanBenjamin,andasaggressiveastheoldermanwaspassive.Born
TeodoroWiesengrundAdornotoaCorsicanfamily,hewastaughtthepianoatanearlyageby
anauntwholivedwiththefamilyandhadbeentheconcertaccompanisttotheinternational
operastarAdelinaPatti.ItwasgenerallythoughtthatTheodorwouldbecomeaprofessional
musician,andhestudiedwithBernardSekles,PaulHindemith'steacher.However,in1918,
whilestillagymnasiumstudent,AdornometSiegfriedKracauer.Kracauerwaspartofa
KantianZionistsalonwhichmetatthehouseofRabbiNehemiahNobelinFrankfurtother
membersoftheNobelcircleincludedphilosopherMartinBuber,writerFranzRosenzweig,
andtwostudents,LeoLowenthalandErichFromm.Kracauer,Lowenthal,andFrommwould
jointheI.S.R.twodecadeslater.AdornoengagedKracauertotutorhiminthephilosophyof
KantKracaueralsointroducedhimtothewritingsofLukacsandtoWalterBenjamin,whowas
aroundtheNobelclique.
In1924,AdornomovedtoVienna,tostudywiththeatonalistcomposersAlbanBergand
ArnoldSchnberg,andbecameconnectedtotheavantgardeandoccultcirclearoundtheold
MarxistKarlKraus.Here,henotonlymethisfuturecollaborator,HansEisler,butalsocame
intocontactwiththetheoriesofFreudianextremistOttoGross.Gross,alongtimecocaine
addict,haddiedinaBerlingutterin1920,whileonhiswaytohelptherevolutioninBudapest
hehaddevelopedthetheorythatmentalhealthcouldonlybeachievedthroughtherevivalofthe
ancientcultofAstarte,whichwouldsweepawaymonotheismandthe"bourgeoisfamily."
SavingMarxistAesthetics
6/25
1/11/2016
By1928,AdornoandBenjaminhadsatisfiedtheirintellectualwanderlust,andsettleddownat
theI.S.R.inGermanytodosomework.Assubject,theychoseanaspectoftheproblemposed
byLukacs:howtogiveaestheticsafirmlymaterialisticbasis.Itwasaquestionofsome
importance,atthetime.OfficialSovietdiscussionsofartandculture,withtheirwildgyrations
into"socialistrealism"and"proletkult,"wereidiotic,andonlyservedtodiscreditMarxism's
claimtophilosophyamongintellectuals.KarlMarx'sownwritingsonthesubjectweresketchy
andbanal,atbest.
Inessence,AdornoandBenjamin'sproblemwasGottfriedWilhelmLeibniz.Atthebeginningof
theeighteenthcentury,Leibnizhadonceagainobliteratedthecenturiesoldgnosticdualism
dividingmindandbody,bydemonstratingthatmatterdoesnotthink.Acreativeactinartor
scienceapprehendsthetruthofthephysicaluniverse,butitisnotdeterminedbythatphysical
universe.Byselfconsciouslyconcentratingthepastinthepresenttoeffectthefuture,the
creativeact,properlydefined,isasimmortalasthesoulwhichenvisionstheact.Thishasfatal
philosophicalimplicationsforMarxism,whichrestsentirelyonthehypothesisthatmental
activityisdeterminedbythesocialrelationsexcretedbymankind'sproductionofitsphysical
existence.
MarxsidesteppedtheproblemofLeibniz,asdidAdornoandBenjamin,althoughthelatterdidit
withalotmorepanache.Itiswrong,saidBenjamininhisfirstarticlesonthesubject,tostart
withthereasonable,hypothesizingmindasthebasisofthedevelopmentofcivilizationthisisan
unfortunatelegacyofSocrates.Asanalternative,BenjaminposedanAristotelianfablein
interpretationofGenesis:AssumethatEdenweregiventoAdamastheprimordialphysicalstate.
Theoriginofscienceandphilosophydoesnotlieintheinvestigationandmasteryofnature,but
inthenamingoftheobjectsofnatureintheprimordialstate,tonameathingwastosayallthere
wastosayaboutthatthing.Insupportofthis,Benjamincynicallyrecalledtheopeninglinesof
theGospelaccordingtoSt.John,carefullyavoidingthephilosophicallybroaderGreek,and
preferringtheVulgate(sothat,inthephrase"InthebeginningwastheWord,"theconnotations
oftheoriginalGreekwordlogosspeech,reason,ratiocination,translatedas"Word"are
replacedbythenarrowermeaningoftheLatinwordverbum).AftertheexpulsionfromEdenand
God'srequirementthatAdameathisbreadearnedbythesweatofhisface(Benjamin'sMarxist
metaphorforthedevelopmentofeconomies),andGod'sfurthercurseofBabelonNimrod(that
is,thedevelopmentofnationstateswithdistinctlanguages,whichBenjaminandMarxviewed
asanegativeprocessawayfromthe"primitivecommunism"ofEden),humanitybecame
"estranged"fromthephysicalworld.
Thus,Benjamincontinued,objectsstillgiveoffan"aura"oftheirprimordialform,butthetruth
isnowhopelesslyelusive.Infact,speech,writtenlanguage,art,creativityitselfthatbywhich
wemasterphysicalitymerelyfurtherstheestrangementbyattempting,inMarxistjargon,to
incorporateobjectsofnatureintothesocialrelationsdeterminedbytheclassstructuredominant
atthatpointinhistory.Thecreativeartistorscientist,therefore,isavessel,likeIontherhapsode
ashedescribedhimselftoSocrates,orlikeamodern"chaostheory"advocate:thecreativeact
springsoutofthehodgepodgeofcultureasifbymagic.Themorethatbourgeoismantriesto
conveywhatheintendsaboutanobject,thelesstruthfulhebecomesor,inoneofBenjamin's
mostoftquotedstatements,"Truthisthedeathofintention."
Thisphilosophicalsleightofhandallowsonetodoseveraldestructivethings.Bymaking
creativityhistoricallyspecific,yourobitofbothimmortalityandmorality.Onecannot
hypothesizeuniversaltruth,ornaturallaw,fortruthiscompletelyrelativetohistorical
development.Bydiscardingtheideaoftruthanderror,youalsomaythrowoutthe"obsolete"
conceptofgoodandevilyouare,inthewordsofFriedrichNietzsche,"beyondgoodandevil."
7/25
1/11/2016
Benjaminisable,forinstance,todefendwhathecallsthe"Satanism"oftheFrenchSymbolists
andtheirSurrealistsuccessors,foratthecoreofthisSatanism"onefindsthecultofevilasa
politicaldevice...todisinfectandisolateagainstallmoralizingdilettantism"ofthebourgeoisie.
TocondemntheSatanismofRimbaudasevil,isasincorrectastoextolaBeethovenquartetora
Schillerpoemasgoodforbothjudgmentsareblindtothehistoricalforcesworking
unconsciouslyontheartist.
Thus,wearetold,thelateBeethoven'schordstructurewasstrivingtobeatonal,butBeethoven
couldnotbringhimselfconsciouslytobreakwiththestructuredworldofCongressofVienna
Europe(Adorno'sthesis)similarly,Schillerreallywantedtostatethatcreativitywasthe
liberationoftheerotic,butasatruechildoftheEnlightenmentandImmanuelKant,hecouldnot
maketherequisiterenunciationofreason(Marcuse'sthesis).Epistemologybecomesapoor
relationofpublicopinion,sincetheartistdoesnotconsciouslycreateworksinordertouplift
society,butinsteadunconsciouslytransmitstheideologicalassumptionsofthecultureintowhich
hewasborn.Theissueisnolongerwhatisuniversallytrue,butwhatcanbeplausiblyinterpreted
bytheselfappointedguardiansoftheZeitgeist.
"TheBadNewDays"
Thus,fortheFrankfortSchool,thegoalofaculturaleliteinthemodern,"capitalist"eramustbe
tostripawaythebeliefthatartderivesfromtheselfconsciousemulationofGodtheCreator
"religiousillumination,"saysBenjamin,mustbeshownto"resideinaprofaneillumination,a
materialistic,anthropologicalinspiration,towhichhashish,opium,orwhateverelsecangivean
introductorylesson."Atthesametime,newculturalformsmustbefoundtoincreasethe
alienationofthepopulation,inorderforittounderstandhowtrulyalienateditistolivewithout
socialism."Donotbuildonthegoodolddays,butonthebadnewones,"saidBenjamin.
Theproperdirectioninpainting,therefore,isthattakenbythelateVanGogh,whobeganto
paintobjectsindisintegration,withtheequivalentofahashishsmoker'seyethat"loosensand
enticesthingsoutoftheirfamiliarworld."Inmusic,"itisnotsuggestedthatonecancompose
bettertoday"thanMozartorBeethoven,saidAdorno,butonemustcomposeatonally,for
atonalismissick,and"thesickness,dialectically,isatthesametimethecure....The
extraordinarilyviolentreactionprotestwhichsuchmusicconfrontsinthepresentsociety...
appearsnonethelesstosuggestthatthedialecticalfunctionofthismusiccanalreadybefelt...
negatively,as'destruction.'"
Thepurposeofmodernart,literature,andmusicmustbetodestroytheupliftingtherefore,
bourgeoispotentialofart,literature,andmusic,sothatman,bereftofhisconnectiontothe
divine,seeshisonlycreativeoptiontobepoliticalrevolt."Toorganizepessimismmeansnothing
otherthantoexpelthemoralmetaphorfrompoliticsandtodiscoverinpoliticalactionasphere
reservedonehundredpercentforimages."Thus,BenjamincollaboratedwithBrechttowork
thesetheoriesintopracticalform,andtheirjointeffortculminatedintheVerfremdungseffekt
("estrangementeffect"),Brecht'sattempttowritehisplayssoastomaketheaudienceleavethe
theatredemoralizedandaimlesslyangry.
PoliticalCorrectness
TheAdornoBenjaminanalysisrepresentsalmosttheentiretheoreticalbasisofallthepolitically
correctaesthetictrendswhichnowplagueouruniversities.ThePoststructuralismofRoland
Barthes,MichelFoucault,andJacquesDerrida,theSemioticsofUmbertoEco,the
DeconstructionismofPaulDeMan,allopenlyciteBenjaminasthesourceoftheirwork.The
8/25
1/11/2016
ItalianterroristEco'sbestsellingnovel,TheNameoftheRose,islittlemorethanapaeanto
BenjaminDeMan,theformerNazicollaboratorinBelgiumwhobecameaprestigiousYale
professor,beganhiscareertranslatingBenjaminBarthes'infamous1968statementthat"[t]he
authorisdead,"ismeantasanelaborationofBenjamin'sdictumonintention.Benjaminhas
actuallybeencalledtheheirofLeibnizandofWilhelmvonHumboldt,thephilologist
collaboratorofSchillerwhoseeducationalreformsengenderedthetremendousdevelopmentof
Germanyinthenineteenthcentury.EvenasrecentlyasSeptember1991,theWashingtonPost
referredtoBenjaminas"thefinestGermanliterarytheoristofthecentury(andmanywouldhave
leftoffthatqualifyingGerman)."
ReadershaveundoubtedlyheardoneoranotherhorrorstoryabouthowanAfricanAmerican
StudiesDepartmenthasprocuredabanonOthello,becauseitis"racist,"orhowaradical
feministprofessorlecturedaModernLanguageAssociationmeetingonthewitchesasthe"true
heroines"ofMacbeth.Theseatrocitiesoccurbecausetheperpetratorsareabletoplausibly
demonstrate,inthetraditionofBenjaminandAdorno,thatShakespeare'sintentisirrelevant
whatisimportant,istheracistorphallocentric"subtext"ofwhichShakespearewasunconscious
whenhewrote.
WhenthelocalWomen'sStudiesorThirdWorldStudiesDepartmentorganizesstudentsto
abandonclassicsinfavorofmodernBlackandfeministauthors,thereasonsgivenarepure
Benjamin.Itisnotthatthesemodernwritersarebetter,buttheyaresomehowmoretruthful
becausetheiralienatedprosereflectsthemodernsocialproblemsofwhichtheolderauthorswere
ignorant!Studentsarebeingtaughtthatlanguageitselfis,asBenjaminsaid,merelya
conglomerationoffalse"names"foisteduponsocietybyitsoppressors,andarewarnedagainst
"logocentrism,"thebourgeoisoverrelianceonwords.
Ifthesecampusanticsappear"retarded"(inthewordsofAdorno),thatisbecausetheyare
designedtobe.TheFrankfurtSchool'smostimportantbreakthroughconsistsintherealization
thattheirmonstroustheoriescouldbecomedominantintheculture,asaresultofthechangesin
societybroughtaboutbywhatBenjamincalled"theageofmechanicalreproductionofart."
II.TheEstablishmentGoesBolshevik:"Entertainment"ReplacesArt
Beforethetwentiethcentury,thedistinctionbetweenartand"entertainment"wasmuchmore
pronounced.Onecouldbeentertainedbyart,certainly,buttheexperiencewasactive,not
passive.Onthefirstlevel,onehadtomakeaconsciouschoicetogotoaconcert,toviewa
certainartexhibit,tobuyabookorpieceofsheetmusic.Itwasunlikelythatanymorethanan
infinitesimalfractionofthepopulationwouldhavetheopportunitytoseeKingLearorhear
Beethoven'sNinthSymphonymorethanonceortwiceinalifetime.Artdemandedthatonebring
one'sfullpowersofconcentrationandknowledgeofthesubjecttobearoneachexperience,or
elsetheexperiencewereconsideredwasted.Thesewerethedayswhenmemorizationofpoetry
andwholeplays,andthegatheringoffriendsandfamilyfora"parlorconcert,"werethenorm,
eveninruralhouseholds.Thesewerealsothedaysbefore"musicappreciation"whenone
studiedmusic,asmanydid,theylearnedtoplayit,notappreciateit.
However,thenewtechnologiesofradio,film,andrecordedmusicrepresented,tousethe
appropriateMarxistbuzzword,(seebox)adialecticalpotential.Ontheonehand,these
technologiesheldoutthepossibilityofbringingthegreatestworksofarttomillionsofpeople
whowouldotherwisenothaveaccesstothem.Ontheother,thefactthattheexperiencewas
infinitelyreproduciblecouldtendtodisengagetheaudience'smind,makingtheexperienceless
sacred,thusincreasingalienation.Adornocalledthisprocess,"demythologizing."Thisnew
9/25
1/11/2016
passivity,Adornohypothesizedinacrucialarticlepublishedin1938,couldfractureamusical
compositionintothe"entertaining"partswhichwouldbe"fetishized"inthememoryofthe
listener,andthedifficultparts,whichwouldbeforgotten.Adornocontinues,
Thecounterparttothefetishismisaregressionoflistening.Thisdoesnotmeana
relapseoftheindividuallistenerintoanearlierphaseofhisowndevelopment,nora
declineinthecollectivegenerallevel,sincethemillionswhoarereachedmusically
forthefirsttimebytoday'smasscommunicationscannotbecomparedwiththe
audiencesofthepast.Rather,itisthecontemporarylisteningwhichhasregressed,
arrestedattheinfantilestage.Notonlydothelisteningsubjectslose,alongwiththe
freedomofchoiceandresponsibility,thecapacityfortheconsciousperceptionof
music....[t]heyfluctuatebetweencomprehensiveforgettingandsuddendivesinto
recognition.Theylistenatomisticallyanddissociatewhattheyhear,butpreciselyin
thisdissociationtheydevelopcertaincapacitieswhichaccordlesswiththe
traditionalconceptsofaestheticsthanwiththoseoffootballormotoring.Theyare
notchildlike...buttheyarechildishtheirprimitivismisnotthatoftheundeveloped,
butthatoftheforciblyretarded.[emphasisaded]
Thisconceptualretardationandpreconditioningcausedbylistening,suggestedthatprogramming
coulddeterminepreference.Theveryactofputting,say,aBennyGoodmannumbernexttoa
Mozartsonataontheradio,wouldtendtoamalgamatebothintoentertaining"musiconthe
radio"inthemindofthelistener.Thismeantthatevennewandunpalatableideascouldbecome
popularby"renaming"themthroughtheuniversalhomogenizerofthecultureindustry.As
Benjaminputsit,
Mechanicalreproductionofartchangesthereactionofthemassestowardart.The
reactionaryattitudetowardaPicassopaintingchangesintoaprogressivereaction
towardaChaplinmovie.Theprogressivereactionischaracterizedbythedirect,
intimatefusionofvisualandemotionalenjoymentwiththeorientationofthe
expert....Withregardtothescreen,thecriticalandreceptiveattitudesofthepublic
coincide.Thedecisivereasonforthisisthattheindividualreactionsare
predeterminedbythemassaudienceresponsetheyareabouttoproduce,andthisis
nowheremorepronouncedthaninthefilm.
Atthesametime,themagicpowerofthemediacouldbeusedtoredefinepreviousideas.
"Shakespeare,Rembrandt,Beethovenwillallmakefilms,"concludedBenjamin,quotingthe
FrenchfilmpioneerAbelGance,"...alllegends,allmythologies,allmyths,allfoundersof
religions,andtheveryreligionsthemselves...awaittheirexposedresurrection."
SocialControl:The"RadioProject"
Here,then,weresomepotenttheoriesofsocialcontrol.ThegreatpossibilitiesofthisFrankfurt
SchoolmediaworkwereprobablythemajorcontributingfactorinthesupportgiventheI.S.R.by
thebastionsoftheEstablishment,aftertheInstitutetransferreditsoperationstoAmericain1934.
In1937,theRockefellerFoundationbeganfundingresearchintothesocialeffectsofnewforms
ofmassmedia,particularlyradio.BeforeWorldWarI,radiohadbeenahobbyist'stoy,withonly
125,000receivingsetsintheentireU.S.twentyyearslater,ithadbecometheprimarymodeof
entertainmentinthecountryoutof32millionAmericanfamiliesin1937,27.5millionhad
radiosalargerpercentagethanhadtelephones,automobiles,plumbing,orelectricity!Yet,
almostnosystematicresearchhadbeendoneuptothispoint.TheRockefellerFoundation
10/25
1/11/2016
enlistedseveraluniversities,andheadquarteredthisnetworkattheSchoolofPublicand
InternationalAffairsatPrincetonUniversity.NamedtheOfficeofRadioResearch,itwas
popularlyknownas"theRadioProject."
ThedirectoroftheProjectwasPaulLazersfeld,thefostersonofAustrianMarxisteconomist
RudolphHilferding,andalongtimecollaboratoroftheI.S.R.fromtheearly1930's.Under
LazersfeldwasFrankStanton,arecentPh.D.inindustrialpsychologyfromOhioState,who
hadjustbeenmaderesearchdirectorofColumbiaBroadcastingSystemagrandtitlebuta
lowlyposition.AfterWorldWarII,StantonbecamepresidentoftheCBSNewsDivision,and
ultimatelypresidentofCBSattheheightoftheTVnetwork'spowerhealsobecameChairman
oftheBoardoftheRANDCorporation,andamemberofPresidentLyndonJohnson's"kitchen
cabinet."AmongtheProject'sresearcherswereHertaHerzog,whomarriedLazersfeldand
becamethefirstdirectorofresearchfortheVoiceofAmericaandHazelGaudet,whobecame
oneofthenation'sleadingpoliticalpollsters.TheodorAdornowasnamedchiefoftheProject's
musicsection.
Despitetheofficialgloss,theactivitiesoftheRadioProjectmakeitclearthatitspurposewasto
testempiricallytheAdornoBenjaminthesisthattheneteffectofthemassmediacouldbeto
atomizeandincreaselabilitywhatpeoplewouldlatercall"brainwashing."
SoapOperasandtheInvasionfromMars
Thefirststudieswerepromising.HertaHerzogproduced"OnBorrowedExperiences,"thefirst
comprehensiveresearchonsoapoperas.The"serialradiodrama"formatwasfirstusedin1929,
ontheinspirationoftheold,cliffhanger"PerilsofPauline"filmserial.Becausetheselittleradio
playswerehighlymelodramatic,theybecamepopularlyidentifiedwithItaliangrandopera
becausetheywereoftensponsoredbysoapmanufacturers,theyendedupwiththegenericname,
"soapopera."
UntilHerzog'swork,itwasthoughtthattheimmensepopularityofthisformatwaslargelywith
womenofthelowestsocioeconomicstatuswho,intherestrictedcircumstancesoftheirlives,
neededahelpfulescapetoexoticplacesandromanticsituations.Atypicalarticlefromthat
periodbytwoUniversityofChicagopsychologists,"TheRadioDayTimeSerial:Symbol
Analysis"publishedintheGeneticPsychologyMonographs,solemnlyemphasizedthepositive,
claimingthatthesoaps"functionverymuchlikethefolktale,expressingthehopesandfearsof
itsfemaleaudience,andonthewholecontributetotheintegrationoftheirlivesintotheworldin
whichtheylive."
Herzogfoundthattherewas,infact,nocorrelationtosocioeconomicstatus.Whatismore,there
wassurprisinglylittlecorrelationtocontent.ThekeyfactorasAdornoandBenjamin's
theoriessuggesteditwouldbewastheformitselfoftheserialwomenwerebeingeffectively
addictedtotheformat,notsomuchtobeentertainedortoescape,butto"findoutwhathappens
nextweek."Infact,Herzogfound,youcouldalmostdoublethelistenershipofaradioplayby
dividingitintosegments.
Modernreaderswillimmediatelyrecognizethatthiswasnotalessonlostontheentertainment
industry.Nowadays,theserialformathasspreadtochildren'sprogrammingandhighbudget
primetimeshows.Themostwidelywatchedshowsinthehistoryoftelevision,remainthe"Who
KilledJR?"installmentofDallas,andthefinalepisodeofM*A*S*H,bothofwhichwere
premisedona"whathappensnext?"format.Evenfeaturefilms,liketheStarWarsandBackto
theFuturetrilogies,arenowproducedasserials,inordertolockinaviewershipforthelater
11/25
1/11/2016
installments.Thehumbledaytimesoapalsoretainsitsaddictivequalitiesinthecurrentage:70%
ofallAmericanwomenovereighteennowwatchatleasttwooftheseshowseachday,andthere
isafastgrowingviewershipamongmenandcollegestudentsofbothsexes.
TheRadioProject'snextmajorstudywasaninvestigationintotheeffectsofOrsonWelles'
Halloween1938radioplaybasedonH.G.Wells'WaroftheWorlds.Sixmillionpeopleheardthe
broadcastrealisticallydescribingaMartianinvasionforcelandinginruralNewJersey.Despite
repeatedandclearstatementsthattheshowwasfictional,approximately25%ofthelisteners
thoughtitwasreal,somepanickingoutright.TheRadioProjectresearchersfoundthatamajority
ofthepeoplewhopanickeddidnotthinkthatmenfromMarshadinvadedtheyactuallythought
thattheGermanshadinvaded.
Ithappenedthisway.Thelistenershadbeenpsychologicallypreconditionedbyradioreports
fromtheMunichcrisisearlierthatyear.Duringthatcrisis,CBS'smaninEurope,EdwardR.
Murrow,hitupontheideaofbreakingintoregularprogrammingtopresentshortnewsbulletins.
Forthefirsttimeinbroadcasting,newswaspresentednotinlongeranalyticalpieces,butinshort
clipswhatwenowcall"audiobites."Attheheightofthecrisis,theseflashesgotsonumerous,
that,inthewordsofMurrow'sproducerFredFriendly,"newsbulletinswereinterruptingnews
bulletins."Asthelistenersthoughtthattheworldwasmovingtothebrinkofwar,CBSratings
rosedramatically.WhenWellesdidhisfictionalbroadcastlater,afterthecrisishadreceded,he
usedthisnewsbulletintechniquetogivethingsverisimilitude:hestartedthebroadcastbyfaking
astandarddancemusicprogram,whichkeptgettinginterruptedbyincreasinglyterrifying"on
thescenereports"fromNewJersey.Listenerswhopanicked,reactednottocontent,butto
formattheyheard"Weinterruptthisprogramforanemergencybulletin,"and"invasion,"and
immediatelyconcludedthatHitlerhadinvaded.Thesoapoperatechnique,transposedtothe
news,hadworkedonavastandunexpectedscale.
LittleAnnieandthe"WagnerianDream"ofTV
In1939,oneofthenumbersofthequarterlyJournalofAppliedPsychologywashandedoverto
AdornoandtheRadioProjecttopublishsomeoftheirfindings.Theirconclusionwasthat
Americanshad,overthelasttwentyyears,become"radiominded,"andthattheirlisteninghad
becomesofragmentedthatrepetitionofformatwasthekeytopopularity.Theplaylist
determinedthe"hits"atruthwellknowntoorganizedcrime,boththenandnowand
repetitioncouldmakeanyformofmusicoranyperformer,evenaclassicalmusicperformer,a
"star."Aslongasafamiliarformorcontextwasretained,almostanycontentwouldbecome
acceptable."Notonlyarehitsongs,stars,andsoapoperascyclicallyrecurrentandrigidly
invariabletypes,"saidAdorno,summarizingthismaterialafewyearslater,"butthespecific
contentoftheentertainmentitselfisderivedfromthemandonlyappearstochange.Thedetails
areinterchangeable."
ThecrowningachievementoftheRadioProjectwas"LittleAnnie,"officiallytitledtheStanton
LazersfeldProgramAnalyzer.RadioProjectresearchhadshownthatallpreviousmethodsof
previewpollingwereineffectual.Uptothatpoint,apreviewaudiencelistenedtoashowor
watchedafilm,andthenwasaskedgeneralquestions:didyouliketheshow?whatdidyouthink
ofsoandso'sperformance?TheRadioProjectrealizedthatthismethoddidnottakeintoaccount
thetestaudience'satomizedperceptionofthesubject,anddemandedthattheymakearational
analysisofwhatwasintendedtobeanirrationalexperience.So,theProjectcreatedadevicein
whicheachtestaudiencememberwassuppliedwithatypeofrheostatonwhichhecouldregister
theintensityofhislikesordislikesonamomenttomomentbasis.Bycomparingtheindividual
graphsproducedbythedevice,theoperatorscoulddetermine,notiftheaudiencelikedthewhole
12/25
1/11/2016
showwhichwasirrelevantbut,whichsituationsorcharactersproducedapositive,if
momentary,feelingstate.
LittleAnnietransformedradio,film,andultimatelytelevisionprogramming.CBSstillmaintains
programanalyzerfacilitiesinHollywoodandNewYorkitissaidthatresultscorrelate85%to
ratings.Othernetworksandfilmstudioshavesimilaroperations.Thiskindofanalysisis
responsiblefortheuncannyfeelingyougetwhen,seeinganewfilmorTVshow,youthinkyou
haveseenitallbefore.Youhave,manytimes.Ifaprogramanalyzerindicatesthat,forinstance,
audienceswereparticularlytitilatedbyashortsceneinaWorldWarIIdramashowingacertain
typeofactorkissingacertaintypeofactress,thenthatsceneformatwillbeworkedintodozens
ofscreenplaystransposedtotheMiddleAges,toouterspace,etc.,etc.
TheRadioProjectalsorealizedthattelevisionhadthepotentialtointensifyalloftheeffectsthat
theyhadstudied.TVtechnologyhadbeenaroundforsomeyears,andhadbeenexhibitedatthe
1936World'sFairinNewYork,buttheonlypersontoattemptseriousutilizationofthemedium
hadbeenAdolfHitler.TheNazisbroadcasteventsfromthe1936OlympicGames"live"to
communalviewingroomsaroundGermanytheyweretryingtoexpandontheirgreatsuccessin
usingradiotoNazifyallaspectsofGermanculture.FurtherplansforGermanTVdevelopment
weresidetrackedbywarpreparations.
Adornounderstoodthispotentialperfectly,writingin1944:
Televisionaimsatthesynthesisofradioandfilm,andishelduponlybecausethe
interestedpartieshavenotyetreachedagreement,butitsconsequenceswillbequite
enormousandpromisetointensifytheimpoverishmentofaestheticmatterso
drastically,thatbytomorrowthethinlyveiledidentityofallindustrialculture
productscancometriumphantlyoutintheopen,derisivelyfulfillingtheWagnerian
dreamoftheGesamtkunstwerkthefusionofalltheartsinonework.
Theobviouspointisthis:theprofoundlyirrationalformsofmodernentertainmentthestupid
anderoticizedcontentofmostTVandfilms,thefactthatyourlocalClassicalmusicradiostation
programsStravinskynexttoMozartdon'thavetobethatway.Theyweredesignedtobethat
way.Thedesignwassosuccessful,thattoday,nooneevenquestionsthereasonsortheorigins.
(seebox)
III.Creating"PublicOpinion":The"AuthoritarianPersonality"Bogeyman
andtheOSS
TheeffortsoftheRadioProjectconspiratorstomanipulatethepopulation,spawnedthemodern
pseudoscienceofpublicopinionpolling,inordertogaingreatercontroloverthemethodsthey
weredeveloping.
Today,publicopinionpolls,likethetelevisionnews,havebeencompletelyintegratedintoour
society.A"scientificsurvey"ofwhatpeoplearesaidtothinkaboutanissuecanbeproducedin
lessthantwentyfourhours.Somecampaignsforhighpoliticalofficearecompletelyshapedby
pollsinfact,manypoliticianstrytocreateissueswhicharethemselvesmeaningless,butwhich
theyknowwilllookgoodinthepolls,purelyforthepurposeofenhancingtheirimageas
"popular."Importantpolicydecisionsaremade,evenbeforetheactualvoteofthecitizenryorthe
legislature,bypollresults.Newspaperswilloccasionallywritepiouseditorialscallingonpeople
tothinkforthemselves,evenasthenewspaper'sbusinessagentsendsachecktothelocalpolling
organization.
13/25
1/11/2016
Theideaof"publicopinion"isnotnew,ofcourse.PlatospokeagainstitinhisRepublicovertwo
milleniaagoAlexisdeTocquevillewroteatlengthofitsinfluenceoverAmericaintheearly
nineteenthcentury.But,nobodythoughttomeasurepublicopinionbeforethetwentiethcentury,
andnobodybeforethe1930'sthoughttousethosemeasurementsfordecisionmaking.
Itisusefultopauseandreflectonthewholeconcept.Thebeliefthatpublicopinioncanbea
determinantoftruthisphilosophicallyinsane.Itprecludestheideaoftherationalindividual
mind.Everyindividualmindcontainsthedivinesparkofreason,andisthuscapableofscientific
discovery,andunderstandingthediscoveriesofothers.Theindividualmindisoneofthefew
thingsthatcannot,therefore,be"averaged."Consider:atthemomentofcreativediscovery,itis
possible,ifnotprobable,thatthescientistmakingthediscoveryistheonlypersontoholdthat
opinionaboutnature,whereaseveryoneelsehasadifferentopinion,ornoopinion.Onecanonly
imaginewhata"scientificallyconductedsurvey"onKepler'smodelofthesolarsystemwould
havebeen,shortlyafterhepublishedtheHarmonyoftheWorld:2%for,48%against,50%no
opinion.
Thesepsychoanalyticsurveytechniquesbecamestandard,notonlyfortheFrankfurtSchool,but
alsothroughoutAmericansocialsciencedepartments,particularlyaftertheI.S.R.arrivedinthe
UnitedStates.ThemethodologywasthebasisoftheresearchpieceforwhichtheFrankfurt
Schoolismostwellknown,the"authoritarianpersonality"project.In1942,I.S.R.directorMax
HorkheimermadecontactwiththeAmericanJewishCommittee,whichaskedhimtosetupa
DepartmentofScientificResearchwithinitsorganization.TheAmericanJewishCommitteealso
providedalargegranttostudyantiSemitismintheAmericanpopulation."Ouraim,"wrote
Horkheimerintheintroductiontothestudy,"isnotmerelytodescribeprejudice,buttoexplainit
inordertohelpinitseradication....Eradicationmeansreeducationscientificallyplannedonthe
basisofunderstandingscientificallyarrivedat."
TheASScale
Ultimately,fivevolumeswereproducedforthisstudyoverthecourseofthelate1940'sthemost
importantwasthelast,TheAuthoritarianPersonality,byAdorno,withthehelpofthree
Berkeley,Californiasocialpsychologists.
Inthe1930'sErichFrommhaddevisedaquestionnairetobeusedtoanalyzeGermanworkers
pychoanalyticallyas"authoritarian,""revolutionary"or"ambivalent."TheheartofAdorno's
studywas,onceagain,Fromm'spsychoanalyticscale,butwiththepositiveendchangedfroma
"revolutionarypersonality,"toa"democraticpersonality,"inordertomakethingsmorepalatable
forapostwaraudience.
Ninepersonalitytraitsweretestedandmeasured,including:
conventionalismrigidadherencetoconventional,middleclassvalues
authoritarianaggressionthetendencytobeonthelookoutfor,tocondemn,rejectand
punish,peoplewhoviolateconventionalvalues
projectivitythedispositiontobelievethatwildanddangerousthingsgoonintheworld
sexexaggeratedconcernwithsexualgoingson.
Fromthesemeasurementswereconstructedseveralscales:theEScale(ethnocentrism),thePEC
Scale(polticalandeconomicconservatism),theASScale(antiSemitism),andtheFScale
14/25
1/11/2016
(fascism).UsingRensisLickerts'smethodologyofweightingresults,theauthorswereableto
teasetogetheranempiricaldefinitionofwhatAdornocalled"anewanthropologicaltype,"the
authoritarianpersonality.Thelegerdemainhere,asinallpsychoanalyticsurveywork,isthe
assumptionofaWeberian"type."Oncethetypehasbeenstatisticallydetermined,allbehavior
canbeexplainedifanantiSemiticpersonalitydoesnotactinanantiSemiticway,thenheor
shehasanulteriormotivefortheact,orisbeingdiscontinuous.Theideathatahumanmindis
capableoftransformation,isignored.
Theresultsofthisverystudycanbeinterpretedindiametricallydifferentways.Onecouldsay
thatthestudyprovedthatthepopulationoftheU.S.wasgenerallyconservative,didnotwantto
abandonacapitalisteconomy,believedinastrongfamilyandthatsexualpromiscuityshouldbe
punished,thoughtthatthepostwarworldwasadangerousplace,andwasstillsuspiciousofJews
(andBlacks,RomanCatholics,Orientals,etc.unfortunatelytrue,butcorrectableinasocial
contextofeconomicgrowthandculturaloptimism).Ontheotherhand,onecouldtakethesame
resultsandprovethatantiJewishpogromsandNuremburgralliesweresimmeringjustunderthe
surface,waitingforanewHitlertoignitethem.Whichofthetwointerpretationsyouacceptisa
political,notascientific,decision.HorkheimerandAdornofirmlybelievedthatallreligions,
Judaismincluded,were"theopiateofthemasses."TheirgoalwasnottheprotectionofJews
fromprejudice,butthecreationofadefinitionofauthoritarianismandantiSemitismwhich
couldbeexploitedtoforcethe"scientificallyplannedreeducation"ofAmericansandEuropeans
awayfromtheprinciplesofJudeoChristiancivilization,whichtheFrankfurtSchooldespised.In
theirtheoreticalwritingsofthisperiod,HorkheimerandAdornopushedthethesistoitsmost
paranoid:justascapitalismwasinherentlyfascistic,thephilosophyofChristianityitselfisthe
sourceofantiSemitism.AsHorkheimerandAdornojointlywroteintheir1947"Elementsof
AntiSemitism":
Christ,thespiritbecomeflesh,isthedeifiedsorcerer.Man'sselfreflectioninthe
absolute,thehumanizationofGodbyChrist,istheprotonpseudos[original
falsehood].ProgressbeyondJudaismiscoupledwiththeassumptionthattheman
JesushasbecomeGod.ThereflectiveaspectofChristianity,theintellectualization
ofmagic,istherootofevil.
Atthesametime,Horkheimercouldwriteinamorepopularizedarticletitled"AntiSemitism:A
SocialDisease,"that"atpresent,theonlycountrywheretheredoesnotseemtobeanykindof
antiSemitismisRussia"[!].
ThisselfservingattempttomaximizeparanoiawasfurtheraidedbyHannahArendt,who
popularizedtheauthoritarianpersonalityresearchinherwidelyreadOriginsofTotalitarianism.
Arendtalsoaddedthefamousrhetoricalflourishaboutthe"banalityofevil"inherlater
EichmanninJerusalem:evenasimple,shopkeepertypelikeEichmanncanturnintoaNazi
beastundertherightpsychologicalcircumstanceseveryGentileissuspect,psychoanalytically.
ItisArendt'sextremeversionoftheauthoritarianpersonalitythesiswhichistheoperant
philosophyoftoday'sCultAwarenessNetwork(CAN),agroupwhichworkswiththeU.S.
JusticeDepartmentandtheAntiDefamationLeagueoftheB'naiB'rith,amongothers.Using
standardFrankfurtSchoolmethod,CANidentifiespoliticalandreligiousgroupswhichareits
politicalenemies,thenrelabelsthemasa"cult,"inordertojustifyoperationsagainstthem.(See
box.)
ThePublicOpinionExplosion
15/25
1/11/2016
Despiteitsunprovablecentralthesisof"psychoanalytictypes,"theinterpretivesurvey
methodologyoftheFrankfurtSchoolbecamedominantinthesocialsciences,andessentially
remainssotoday.Infact,theadoptionofthesenew,supposedlyscientifictechniquesinthe
1930'sbroughtaboutanexplosioninpublicopinionsurveyuse,muchofitfundedbyMadison
Avenue.ThemajorpollstersoftodayA.C.Neilsen,GeorgeGallup,ElmoRoperstartedin
themid1930's,andbeganusingtheI.S.R.methods,especiallygiventhesuccessoftheStanton
LazersfeldProgramAnalyzer.By1936,pollingactivityhadbecomesufficientlywidespreadto
justifyatradeassociation,theAmericanAcademyofPublicOpinionResearchatPrinceton,
headedbyLazersfeldatthesametime,theUniversityofChicagocreatedtheNationalOpinion
ResearchCenter.In1940,theOfficeofRadioResearchwasturnedintotheBureauofApplied
SocialResearch,adivisionofColumbiaUniversity,withtheindefatigableLazersfeldasdirector.
AfterWorldWarII,Lazersfeldespeciallypioneeredtheuseofsurveystopsychoanalyze
Americanvotingbehavior,andbythe1952Presidentialelection,MadisonAvenueadvertising
agencieswerefirmlyincontrolofDwightEisenhower'scampaign,utilizingLazersfeld'swork.
Nineteenfiftytwowasalsothefirstelectionundertheinfluenceoftelevision,which,asAdorno
hadpredictedeightyearsearlier,hadgrowntoincredibleinfluenceinaveryshorttime.Batten,
Barton,Durstine&Osbornethefabled"BBD&O"adagencydesignedIke'scampaign
appearancesentirelyfortheTVcameras,andascarefullyasHitler'sNurembergralliesone
minute"spot"advertisementswerepioneeredtocatertothesurveydeterminedneedsofthe
voters.
Thissnowballhasnotstoppedrollingsince.Theentiredevelopmentoftelevisionandadvertising
inthe1950'sand1960'swaspioneeredbymenandwomenwhoweretrainedintheFrankfurt
School'stechniquesofmassalienation.FrankStantonwentdirectlyfromtheRadioProjectto
becomethesinglemostimportantleaderofmoderntelevision.Stanton'schiefrivalinthe
formativeperiodofTVwasNBC'sSylvester"Pat"WeaverafteraPh.D.in"listening
behavior,"WeaverworkedwiththeProgramAnalyzerinthelate1930's,beforebecominga
Young&Rubicamvicepresident,thenNBC'sdirectorofprogramming,andultimatelythe
network'spresident.StantonandWeaver'sstoriesaretypical.
Today,themenandwomenwhorunthenetworks,theadagencies,andthepolling
organizations,eveniftheyhaveneverheardofTheodorAdorno,firmlybelieveinAdorno's
theorythatthemediacan,andshould,turnalltheytouchinto"football."Coverageofthe1991
GulfWarshouldmakethatclear.
ThetechniqueofmassmediaandadvertisingdevelopedbytheFrankfurtSchoolnoweffectively
controlsAmericanpoliticalcampaigning.Campaignsarenolongerbasedonpoliticalprograms,
butactuallyonalienation.Pettygripesandirrationalfearsareidentifiedbypsychoanalytic
survey,tobetransmogrifiedinto"issues"tobecateredtothe"WillyHorton"adsofthe1988
Presidentialcampaign,andthe"flagburningamendment,"arebuttworecentexamples.Issues
thatwilldeterminethefutureofourcivilization,arescrupulouslyreducedtophotoopportunities
andaudiobiteslikeEdMurrow'soriginal1930'sradioreportswherethedramaticeffectis
maximized,andtheideacontentiszero.
WhoIstheEnemy?
Partoftheinfluenceoftheauthoritarianpersonalityhoaxinourowndayalsoderivesfromthe
factthat,incredibly,theFrankfurtSchoolanditstheorieswereofficiallyacceptedbytheU.S.
governmentduringWorldWarII,andtheseCominternistswereresponsiblefordeterminingwho
wereAmerica'swartime,andpostwar,enemies.In1942,theOfficeofStrategicServices,
16/25
1/11/2016
America'shastilyconstructedespionageandcovertoperationsunit,askedformerHarvard
presidentJamesBaxtertoformaResearchandAnalysis(R&A)Branchunderthegroup's
IntelligenceDivision.By1944,theR&ABranchhadcollectedsuchalargeandprestigeous
groupofemigrscholarsthatH.StuartHughes,thenayoungPh.D.,saidthatworkingforitwas
"asecondgraduateeducation"atgovernmentexpense.TheCentralEuropeanSectionwasheaded
byhistorianCarlSchorskeunderhim,intheallimportantGermany/AustriaSection,was
FranzNeumann,assectionchief,withHerbertMarcuse,PaulBaran,andOtto
Kirchheimer,allI.S.R.veterans.LeoLowenthalheadedtheGermanlanguagesectionofthe
OfficeofWarInformationSophieMarcuse,Marcuse'swife,workedattheOfficeofNaval
Intelligence.AlsoattheR&ABranchwere:SiegfriedKracauer,Adorno'soldKantinstructor,
nowafilmtheoristNormanO.Brown,whowouldbecomefamousinthe1960'sbycombining
Marcuse'shedonismtheorywithWilhelmReich'sorgonetherapytopopularize"polymorphous
perversity"BarringtonMoore,Jr.,lateraphilosophyprofessorwhowouldcoauthorabook
withMarcuseGregoryBateson,thehusbandofanthropologistMargaretMead(whowrotefor
theFrankfurtSchool'sjournal),andArthurSchlesinger,thehistorianwhojoinedtheKennedy
Administration.Marcuse'sfirstassignmentwastoheadateamtoidentifyboththosewhowould
betriedaswarcriminalsafterthewar,andalsothosewhowerepotentialleadersofpostwar
Germany.In1944,Marcuse,Neumann,andKirchheimerwrotetheDenazificationGuide,which
waslaterissuedtoofficersoftheU.S.ArmedForcesoccupyingGermany,tohelpthemidentify
andsuppressproNazibehaviors.Afterthearmistice,theR&ABranchsentrepresentativesto
workasintelligenceliaisonswiththevariousoccupyingpowersMarcusewasassignedtheU.S.
Zone,KirchheimertheFrench,andBarringtonMooretheSoviet.Inthesummerof1945,
NeumannlefttobecomechiefofresearchfortheNuremburgTribunal.Marcuseremainedinand
aroundU.S.intelligenceintotheearly1950's,risingtothechiefoftheCentralEuropeanBranch
oftheStateDepartment'sOfficeofIntelligenceResearch,anofficeformallychargedwith
"planningandimplementingaprogramofpositiveintelligenceresearch...tomeetthe
intelligencerequirementsoftheCentralIntelligenceAgencyandotherauthorizedagencies."
DuringhistenureasaU.S.governmentofficial,MarcusesupportedthedivisionofGermanyinto
EastandWest,notingthatthiswouldpreventanalliancebetweenthenewlyliberatedleftwing
partiesandtheold,conservativeindustrialandbusinesslayers.In1949,heproduceda532page
report,"ThePotentialsofWorldCommunism"(declassifiedonlyin1978),whichsuggestedthat
theMarshallPlaneconomicstabilizationofEuropewouldlimittherecruitmentpotentialof
WesternEurope'sCommunistPartiestoacceptablelevels,causingaperiodofhostileco
existencewiththeSovietUnion,markedbyconfrontationonlyinfarawayplaceslikeLatin
AmericaandIndochinainall,asurprisinglyaccurateforecast.MarcuselefttheState
DepartmentwithaRockefellerFoundationgranttoworkwiththevariousSovietStudies
departmentswhichweresetupatmanyofAmerica'stopuniversitiesafterthewar,largelyby
R&ABranchveterans.
Atthesametime,MaxHorkheimerwasdoingevengreaterdamage.Aspartofthedenazification
ofGermanysuggestedbytheR&ABranch,U.S.HighCommissionerforGermanyJohnJ.
McCloy,usingpersonaldiscretionaryfunds,broughtHorkheimerbacktoGermanytoreformthe
Germanuniversitysystem.Infact,McCloyaskedPresidentTrumanandCongresstopassabill
grantingHorkheimer,whohadbecomeanaturalizedAmerican,dualcitizenshipthus,forabrief
period,HorkheimerwastheonlypersonintheworldtoholdbothGermanandU.S.citizenship.
InGermany,HorkheimerbeganthespadeworkforthefullblownrevivaloftheFrankfurtSchool
inthatnationinthelate1950's,includingthetrainingofawholenewgenerationofantiWestern
civilizationscholarslikeHansGeorgGadamerandJrgenHabermas,whowouldhavesuch
destructiveinfluencein1960'sGermany.InaperiodofAmericanhistorywhensomeindividuals
werebeinghoundedintounemploymentandsuicideforthefaintestaromaofleftism,Frankfurt
SchoolveteransallwithsuperbCominterncredentialsledwhatcanonlybecalledcharmed
17/25
1/11/2016
lives.Americahad,toanincredibleextent,handedthedeterminationofwhowerethenation's
enemies,overtothenation'sownworstenemies.
IV.TheAristotelianEros:MarcuseandtheCIA'sDrugCounterculture
In1989,HansGeorgGadamer,aprotgofMartinHeideggerandthelastoftheoriginal
FrankfurtSchoolgeneration,wasaskedtoprovideanappreciationofhisownworkforthe
Germannewspaper,FrankfurterAllgemeineZeitung.Hewrote,
OnehastoconceiveofAristotle'sethicsasatruefulfillmentoftheSocratic
challenge,whichPlatohadplacedatthecenterofhisdialoguesontheSocratic
questionofthegood....Platodescribedtheideaofthegood...astheultimateand
highestidea,whichissupposedlythehighestprincipleofbeingfortheuniverse,the
state,andthehumansoul.AgainstthisAristotleopposedadecisivecritique,under
thefamousformula,"Platoismyfriend,butthetruthismyfriendevenmore."He
deniedthatonecouldconsidertheideaofthegoodasauniversalprincipleofbeing,
whichissupposedtoholdinthesamewayfortheoreticalknowledgeasforpractical
knowledgeandhumanactivity.
ThisstatementnotonlysuccinctlystatestheunderlyingphilosophyoftheFrankfurtSchool,it
alsosuggestsaninflectionpointaroundwhichwecanordermuchofthephilosophicalcombatof
thelasttwomillenia.Inthesimplestterms,theAristoteliancorrectionofPlatosundersphysics
frommetaphysics,relegatingtheGoodtoamereobjectofspeculationaboutwhich"our
knowledgeremainsonlyahypothesis,"inthewordsofWilhelmDilthey,theFrankfurtSchool's
favoritephilosopher.Ourknowledgeofthe"realworld,"asDilthey,Nietzsche,andother
precursorsoftheFrankfurtSchoolwerewonttoemphasize,becomeserotic,inthebroadest
senseofthatterm,asobjectfixation.Theuniversebecomesacollectionofthingswhicheach
operateonthebasisoftheirownnatures(thatis,genetically),andthroughinteractionbetween
themselves(thatis,mechanistically).Sciencebecomesthedeductionoftheappropriate
categoriesofthesenaturesandinteractions.Sincethehumanmindismerelyasensorium,
waitingfortheNewtonianappletojaritintodeduction,humanity'srelationshiptotheworld(and
viceversa)becomesaneroticattachmenttoobjects.Thecomprehensionoftheuniversalthe
mind'sseekingtobethelivingimageofthelivingGodisthereforeillusory.Thatuniversal
eitherdoesnotexist,oritexistsincomprehensiblyasadeusexmachinathatis,theDivineexists
asasuperadditiontothephysicaluniverseGodisreallyZeus,flingingthunderboltsintothe
worldfromsomeoutsidelocation.(Or,perhapsmoreappropriately:GodisreallyCupid,letting
loosegoldenarrowstomakeobjectsattract,andleadenarrowstomakeobjectsrepel.)Thekeyto
theentireFrankfurtSchoolprogram,fromoriginatorLukacson,isthe"liberation"ofAristotelian
eros,tomakeindividualfeelingstatespsychologicallyprimary.WhentheI.S.R.leadersarrived
intheUnitedStatesinthemid1930's,theyexultedthatherewasaplacewhichhadnoadequate
philosophicaldefensesagainsttheirbrandofKulturpessimismus[culturalpessimism].However,
althoughtheFrankfurtSchoolmademajorinroadsinAmericanintellectuallifebeforeWorld
WarII,thatinfluencewaslargelyconfinedtoacademiaandtoradioandradio,although
important,didnotyethavetheoverwhelminginfluenceonsociallifethatitwouldacquireduring
thewar.Furthermore,America'smobilizationforthewar,andthevictoryagainstfascism,
sidetrackedtheFrankfurtSchoolscheduleAmericain1945wasalmostsublimelyoptimistic,
withapopulationfirmlyconvincedthatamobilizedrepublic,backedbyscienceandtechnology,
coulddojustaboutanything.Thefifteenyearsafterthewar,however,sawthedominationof
familylifebytheradioandtelevisionshapedbytheFrankfurtSchool,inaperiodofpolitical
erosioninwhichthegreatpositivepotentialofAmericadegeneratedtoapurelynegativeposture
againsttherealand,oftentimesmanipulated,threatoftheSovietUnion.Atthesametime,
18/25
1/11/2016
hundredsofthousandsoftheyounggenerationthesocalledbabyboomerswereentering
collegeandbeingexposedtotheFrankfurtSchool'spoison,eitherdirectlyorindirectly.Itis
illustrative,thatby1960,sociologyhadbecomethemostpopularcourseofstudyinAmerican
universities.Indeed,whenonelooksatthefirststirringsofthestudentrebellionatthebeginning
ofthe1960's,likethespeechesoftheBerkeleyFreeSpeechMovementorthePortHuron
StatementwhichfoundedtheStudentsforaDemocraticSociety,oneisstruckwithhowdevoid
ofactualcontentthesediscussionswere.Thereismuchanxietyaboutbeingmadetoconformto
thesystem"Iamahumanbeingdonotfold,spindle,ormutilate"wentanearlyBerkeley
sloganbutitisclearthatthe"problems"citedderivemuchmorefromrequiredsociology
textbooks,thanfromtherealneedsofthesociety.
TheCIA'sPsychedelicRevolution
Thesimmeringunrestoncampusin1960mightwelltoohavepassedorhadapositiveoutcome,
wereitnotforthetraumaticdecapitationofthenationthroughtheKennedyassassination,plus
thesimultaneousintroductionofwidespreaddruguse.Drugshadalwaysbeenan"analytical
tool"ofthenineteenthcenturyRomantics,liketheFrenchSymbolists,andwerepopularamong
theEuropeanandAmericanBohemianfringewellintothepostWorldWarIIperiod.But,inthe
secondhalfofthe1950's,theCIAandalliedintelligenceservicesbeganextensive
experimentationwiththehallucinogenLSDtoinvestigateitspotentialforsocialcontrol.Ithas
nowbeendocumentedthatmillionsofdosesofthechemicalwereproducedanddisseminated
undertheaegisoftheCIA'sOperationMKUltra.LSDbecamethedrugofchoicewithinthe
agencyitself,andwaspassedoutfreelytofriendsofthefamily,includingasubstantialnumber
ofOSSveterans.Forinstance,itwasOSSResearchandAnalysisBranchveteranGregory
Batesonwho"turnedon"theBeatpoetAllenGinsbergtoaU.S.NavyLSDexperimentinPalo
Alto,California.NotonlyGinsberg,butnovelistKenKeseyandtheoriginalmembersofthe
GratefulDeadrockgroupopenedthedoorsofperceptioncourtesyoftheNavy.Theguruofthe
"psychedelicrevolution,"TimothyLeary,firstheardabouthallucinogensin1957fromLife
magazine(whosepublisher,HenryLuce,wasoftengivengovernmentacid,likemanyother
opinionshapers),andbeganhiscareerasaCIAcontractemployeeata1977"reunion"ofacid
pioneers,Learyopenlyadmitted,"everythingIam,IowetotheforesightoftheCIA."
Hallucinogenshavethesingulareffectofmakingthevictimasocial,totallyselfcentered,and
concernedwithobjects.Eventhemostbanalobjectstakeonthe"aura"whichBenjaminhad
talkedabout,andbecometimelessanddelusionarilyprofound.Inotherwords,hallucinogens
instantaneouslyachieveastateofmindidenticaltothatprescribedbytheFrankfurtSchool
theories.And,thepopularizationofthesechemicalscreatedavastpsychologicallabilityfor
bringingthosetheoriesintopractice.Thus,thesituationatthebeginningofthe1960's
representedabrilliantreentrypointfortheFrankfurtSchool,anditwasfullyexploited.Oneof
thecrowningironiesofthe"NowGeneration"of1964on,isthat,forallitsprotestationsofutter
modernity,noneofitsideasorartifactswaslessthanthirtyyearsold.Thepoliticaltheorycame
completelyfromtheFrankfurtSchoolLucienGoldmann,aFrenchradicalwhowasavisiting
professoratColumbiain1968,wasabsolutelycorrectwhenhesaidofHerbertMarcusein1969
that"thestudentmovements...foundinhisworksandultimatelyinhisworksalonethe
theoreticalformulationoftheirproblemsandaspirations[emphasisinoriginal]."Thelonghair
andsandals,thefreelovecommunes,themacrobioticfood,theliberatedlifestyles,hadbeen
designedattheturnofthecentury,andthoroughlyfieldtestedbyvarious,FrankfurtSchool
connectedNewAgesocialexperimentsliketheAsconacommunebefore1920.(Seebox.)Even
TomHayden'sdefiant"Nevertrustanyoneoverthirty,"wasmerelyalessurbaneversionof
RupertBrooke's1905,"Nobodyoverthirtyisworthtalkingto."Thesocialplannerswhoshaped
the1960'ssimplyreliedonalreadyavailablematerials.
19/25
1/11/2016
ErosandCivilization
Thefoundingdocumentofthe1960'scounterculture,andthatwhichbroughttheFrankfurt
School's"revolutionarymessianism"ofthe1920'sintothe1960's,wasMarcuse'sErosand
Civilization,originallypublishedin1955andfundedbytheRockefellerFoundation.The
documentmasterfullysumsuptheFrankfurtSchoolideologyofKulturpessimismusinthe
conceptof"dimensionality."Inoneofthemostbizarreperversionsofphilosophy,Marcuse
claimstoderivethisconceptfromFriedrichSchiller.Schiller,whomMarcusepurposefully
misidentifiesastheheirofImmanuelKant,discernedtwodimensionsinhumanity:asensuous
instinctandanimpulsetowardform.Schilleradvocatedtheharmonizationofthesetwoinstincts
inmanintheformofacreativeplayinstinct.ForMarcuse,ontheotherhand,theonlyhopeto
escapetheonedimensionalityofmodernindustrialsocietywastoliberatetheeroticsideofman,
thesensuousinstinct,inrebellionagainst"technologicalrationality."AsMarcusewouldsaylater
(1964)inhisOneDimensionalMan,"Acomfortable,smooth,reasonable,democraticunfreedom
prevailsinadvancedindustrialcivilization,atokenoftechnicalprogress."Thiseroticliberation
hemisidentifieswithSchiller's"playinstinct,"which,ratherthanbeingerotic,isanexpressionof
charity,thehigherconceptofloveassociatedwithtruecreativity.Marcuse'scontrarytheoryof
eroticliberationissomethingimplicitinSigmundFreud,butnotexplicitlyemphasized,except
forsomeFreudianrenegadeslikeWilhelmReichand,toacertainextent,CarlJung.Every
aspectofcultureintheWest,includingreasonitself,saysMarcuse,actstorepressthis:"The
totalitarianuniverseoftechnologicalrationalityisthelatesttransmutationoftheideaofreason."
Or:"Auschwitzcontinuestohaunt,notthememorybuttheaccomplishmentsofmanthespace
flights,therocketsandmissiles,theprettyelectronicsplants...."
Thiseroticliberationshouldtaketheformofthe"GreatRefusal,"atotalrejectionofthe
"capitalist"monsterandallhisworks,including"technological"reason,and"ritualauthoritarian
language."AspartoftheGreatRefusal,mankindshoulddevelopan"aestheticethos,"turning
lifeintoanaestheticritual,a"lifestyle"(anonsensephrasewhichcameintothelanguageinthe
1960'sunderMarcuse'sinfluence).WithMarcuserepresentingthepointofthewedge,the1960's
werefilledwithobtuseintellectualjustificationsofcontentlessadolescentsexualrebellion.Eros
andCivilizationwasreissuedasaninexpensivepaperbackin1961,andranthroughseveral
editionsintheprefacetothe1966edition,Marcuseaddedthatthenewslogan,"MakeLove,Not
War,"wasexactlywhathewastalkingabout:"Thefightforerosisapoliticalfight[emphasisin
original]."In1969,henotedthateventheNewLeft'sobsessiveuseofobscenitiesinits
manifestoeswaspartoftheGreatRefusal,callingit"asystematiclinguisticrebellion,which
smashestheideologicalcontextinwhichthewordsareemployedanddefined."Marcusewas
aidedbypsychoanalystNormanO.Brown,hisOSSprotege,whocontributedLifeAgainstDeath
in1959,andLove'sBodyin1966callingformantoshedhisreasonable,"armored"ego,and
replaceitwitha"Dionysianbodyego,"thatwouldembracetheinstinctualrealityof
polymorphousperversity,andbringmanbackinto"unionwithnature."ThebooksofReich,who
hadclaimedthatNazismwascausedbymonogamy,werereissued.Reichhaddiedinan
Americanprison,jailedfortakingmoneyontheclaimthatcancercouldbecuredby
rechanneling"orgoneenergy."PrimaryeducationbecamedominatedbyReich'sleading
follower,A.S.Neill,aTheosophicalcultmemberofthe1930'sandmilitantatheist,whose
educationaltheoriesdemandedthatstudentsbetaughttorebelagainstteacherswhoare,by
nature,authoritarian.Neill'sbookSummerhillsold24,000copiesin1960,risingto100,000in
1968,and2millionin1970by1970,itwasrequiredreadingin600universitycourses,making
itoneofthemostinfluentialeducationtextsoftheperiod,andstillabenchmarkforrecent
writersonthesubject.MarcuseledthewayforthecompleterevivaloftherestoftheFrankfurt
Schooltheorists,reintroducingthelongforgottenLukacstoAmerica.Marcusehimselfbecame
thelightningrodforattacksonthecounterculture,andwasregularlyattackedbysuchsourcesas
20/25
1/11/2016
theSovietdailyPravda,andthenCaliforniaGovernorRonaldReagan.Theonlycritiqueofany
meritatthetime,however,wasonebyPopePaulVI,whoin1969namedMarcuse(an
extraordinarystep,astheVaticanusuallyrefrainsfromformaldenunciationsofliving
individuals),alongwithFreud,fortheirjustificationof"disgustingandunbridledexpressionsof
eroticism"andcalledMarcuse'stheoryofliberation,"thetheorywhichopensthewayforlicense
cloakedasliberty...anaberrationofinstinct."Theeroticismofthecounterculturemeantmuch
morethanfreeloveandaviolentattackonthenuclearfamily.Italsomeantthelegitimizationof
philosophicaleros.Peopleweretrainedtoseethemselvesasobjects,determinedbytheir
"natures."Theimportanceoftheindividualasapersongiftedwiththedivinesparkofcreativity,
andcapableofactinguponallhumancivilization,wasreplacedbytheideathatthepersonis
importantbecauseheorsheisblack,orawoman,orfeelshomosexualimpulses.Thisexplains
thedeformationofthecivilrightsmovementintoa"blackpower"movement,andthe
transformationofthelegitimateissueofcivilrightsforwomenintofeminism.Discussionof
women'scivilrightswasforcedintobeingjustanother"liberationcult,"completewithbra
burningandother,sometimesopenlyAstartestyle,ritualsareviewofKateMillet'sSexual
Politics(1970)andGermaineGreer'sTheFemaleEunuch(1971),demonstratestheircomplete
relianceonMarcuse,Fromm,Reich,andotherFreudianextremists.
TheBadTrip
Thispopularizationoflifeasanerotic,pessimisticritualdidnotabate,butinfactdeepenedover
thetwentyyearsleadingtotodayitisthebasisofthehorrorweseearoundus.Theheirsof
MarcuseandAdornocompletelydominatetheuniversities,teachingtheirownstudentsto
replacereasonwith"PoliticallyCorrect"ritualexercises.Thereareveryfewtheoreticalbookson
arts,letters,orlanguagepublishedtodayintheUnitedStatesorEuropewhichdonotopenly
acknowledgetheirdebttotheFrankfortSchool.
Thewitchhuntontoday'scampusesismerelytheimplementationofMarcuse'sconceptof
"repressivetoleration""toleranceformovementsfromtheleft,butintoleranceformovements
fromtheright"enforcedbythestudentsoftheFrankfurtSchool,nowbecometheprofessorsof
women'sstudiesandAfroAmericanstudies.ThemosteruditespokesmanforAfroAmerican
studies,forinstance,ProfessorCornellWestofPrinceton,publiclystatesthathistheoriesare
derivedfromGeorgLukacs.Atthesametime,theuglinesssocarefullynurturedbytheFrankfurt
Schoolpessimists,hascorruptedourhighestculturalendeavors.Onecanhardlyfinda
performanceofaMozartopera,whichhasnotbeenutterlydeformedbyadirectorwho,
followingBenjaminandtheI.S.R.,wantsto"liberatetheeroticsubtext."Youcannotaskan
orchestratoperformSchnbergandBeethovenonthesameprogram,andmaintainitsintegrity
forthelatter.And,whenourhighestculturebecomesimpotent,popularculturebecomesopenly
bestial.Onefinalimage:AmericanandEuropeanchildrendailywatchfilmslikeNightmareon
ElmStreetandTotalRecall,ortelevisionshowscomparabletothem.Atypicalsceneinoneof
thesewillhaveafigureemergefromatelevisionsettheskinofhisfacewillrealisticallypeel
awaytorevealahideouslydeformedmanwithrazorbladefingers,fingerswhichstartgrowing
toseveralfeetinlength,andsuddenlythevictimisslashedtobloodyribbons.Thisisnot
entertainment.ThisisthedeeplyparanoidhallucinationoftheLSDacidhead.Theworstofwhat
happenedinthe1960'sisnowdailyfare.OwingtotheFrankfurtSchoolanditscoconspirators,
theWestisona"badtrip"fromwhichitisnotbeingallowedtocomedown.
TheprinciplesthroughwhichWesternJudeoChristiancivilizationwasbuilt,arenownolonger
dominantinoursocietytheyexistonlyasakindofundergroundresistancemovement.Ifthat
resistanceisultimatelysubmerged,thenthecivilizationwillnotsurviveand,inoureraof
incurablepandemicdiseaseandnuclearweapons,thecollapseofWesterncivilizationwillvery
21/25
1/11/2016
likelytaketherestoftheworldwithittoHell.
ThewayoutistocreateaRenaissance.Ifthatsoundsgrandiose,itisnonethelesswhatisneeded.
Arenaissancemeans,tostartagaintodiscardtheevil,andinhuman,andjustplainstupid,andto
goback,hundredsorthousandsofyears,totheideaswhichallowhumanitytogrowinfreedom
andgoodness.Oncewehaveidentifiedthosecorebeliefs,wecanstarttorebuildcivilization.
Ultimately,anewRenaissancewillrelyonscientists,artists,andcomposers,butinthefirst
moment,itdependsonseeminglyordinarypeoplewhowilldefendthedivinesparkofreasonin
themselves,andtoleratenolessinothers.GiventhesuccessesoftheFrankfurtSchoolandits
NewDarkAgesponsors,theseordinaryindividuals,withtheirbeliefinreasonandthedifference
betweenrightandwrong,willbe"unpopular."But,noreallygoodideawaseverpopular,inthe
beginning.
topofpage
RelatedArticles
Education
Music
FromCyberneticstoLittletonTechniquesinMindControl
LaRoucheDialogues
StoptheNewViolence
NaziCommunistHippiesofthe1920s
AnoverwhelmingamountofthephilosophyandartifactsoftheAmericancountercultureof
the1960's,plustheNewAgenonsenseoftoday,derivesfromalargescalesocial
experimentsitedinAscona,Switzerlandfromabout1910to1935.Originallyaresortarea
formembersofHelenaBlavatsky'sTheosophycult,thelittleSwissvillagebecamethe
havenforeveryoccult,leftistandracialistsectoftheoriginalNewAgemovementofthe
earlytwentiethcentury.BytheendofWorldWarI,Asconawasindistinguishablefrom
whatHaightAshburywouldlaterbecome,filledwithhealthfoodshops,occultbookstores
hawkingtheIChing,andNaturmenschen,"Mr.Naturals"whowouldwalkaboutinlong
hair,beads,sandals,androbesinorderto"getbacktonature."Thedominantinfluencein
theareacamefromDr.OttoGross,astudentofFreudandfriendofCarlJung,whohad
beenpartofMaxWeber'scirclewhenFrankfurtSchoolfounderLukacswasalsoamember.
GrosstookBachofentoitslogicalextremes,and,inthewordsofabiographer,"issaidto
haveadoptedBabylonashiscivilization,inoppositiontothatofJudeoChristianEurope....
ifJezebelhadnotbeendefeatedbyElijah,worldhistorywouldhavebeendifferentand
better.JezebelwasBabylon,lovereligion,Astarte,Ashtorethbykillingher,Jewish
22/25
1/11/2016
monotheisticmoralismdrovepleasurefromtheworld."Gross'ssolutionwastorecreatethe
cultofAstarteinordertostartasexualrevolutionanddestroythebourgeois,patriarchal
family.Amongthemembersofhiscultwere:FriedaandD.H.LawrenceFranzKafka
FranzWerfel,thenovelistwholatercametoHollywoodandwroteTheSongof
BernadettephilosopherMartinBuberAlmaMahler,thewifeofcomposerGustave
Mahler,andlatertheliaisonofWalterGropius,OskarKokoschka,andFranzWerfel
amongothers.TheOrdoTemplisOrientalis(OTO),theoccultfraternitysetupbySatanist
AleisterCrowley,haditsonlyfemalelodgeatAscona.Itissoberingtorealizethenumber
ofintellectualsnowworshippedasculturalheroeswhowereinfluencedbytheNewAge
madnessinAsconaincludingalmostalltheauthorswhoenjoyedamajorrevivalin
Americainthe1960'sand1970's.Theplaceanditsphilosophyfigureshighlyintheworks
ofnotonlyLawrence,KafkaandWerfel,butalsoNobelPrizewinnersGerhardt
HauptmannandHermannHesse,H.G.Wells,MaxBrod,StefanGeorge,andthepoets
RainerMariaRilkeandGustavLandauer.In1935Asconabecametheheadquartersfor
CarlJung'sannualEranosConferencetopopularizegnosticism.Asconawasalsotheplace
ofcreationformostofwhatwenowcallmoderndance.ItwasheadquarterstoRudolfvon
Laban,inventorofthemostpopularformofdancenotation,andMaryWigman.Isadora
Duncanwasafrequentvisitor.LabanandWigman,likeDuncan,soughttoreplacethe
formalgeometriesofclassicalballetwithrecreationsofcultdanceswhichwouldbe
capableofritualisticallydredginguptheprimordialracialmemoriesoftheaudience.When
theNaziscametopower,LabanbecamethehighestdanceofficialintheReich,andheand
Wigmancreatedtheritualdanceprogramforthe1936OlympicGamesinBerlinwhich
wasfilmedbyHitler'spersonaldirectorLeniReifenstahl,aformerstudentofWigman.The
peculiaroccultpsychoanalysispopularinAsconawasalsodecisiveinthedevelopmentof
muchofmodernart.TheDadamovementoriginatedinnearbyZurich,butallitsearly
figureswereAsconansinmindorbody,especiallyGuillaumeApollinaire,whowasa
particularfanofOttoGross.When"BerlinDada"announceditscreationin1920,its
openingmanifestowaspublishedinamagazinefoundedbyGross.Theprimarydocument
ofSurrealismalsocamefromAscona.Dr.HansPrinzhorn,aHeidelbergpsychiatrist,
commutedtoAscona,wherehewastheloverofMaryWigman.In1922,hepublisheda
book,"TheArtworkoftheMentallyIll,"basedonpaintingsbyhispsychoticpatients,
accompaniedbyananalysisclaimingthatthecreativeprocessshowninthisartwasactually
moreliberatedthanthatoftheOldMasters.Prinzhorn'sbookwaswidelyreadbythe
modernartistsofthetime,andarecenthistorianhascalledit,"theBibleoftheSurrealists."
BacktoArticle
TheNewAgeParadigmShift
TheFrankfurtSchool'soriginal1930'ssurveywork,includingthe"authoritarian
personality,"wasbasedonpsychoanalyticcategoriesdevelopedbyErichFromm.Fromm
derivedthesecategoriesfromthetheoriesofJ.J.Bachofen,acollaboratorofNietzscheand
RichardWagner,whoclaimedthathumancivilizationwasoriginally"matriarchal."This
primoridialperiodof"gynocraticdemocracy"anddominanceoftheMagnaMater(Great
Mother)cult,saidBachofen,wassubmergedbythedevelopmentofrational,authoritarian
"patriarchism,"includingmonotheisticreligion.Later,Frommutilizedthistheorytoclaim
thatsupportforthenuclearfamilywasevidenceofauthoritariantendencies.
23/25
1/11/2016
In1970,fortyyearsafterhefirstproclaimedtheimportanceofBachofen'stheory,the
FrankfurtSchool'sErichFrommsurveyedhowfarthingshaddeveloped.Helistedseven
"socialpsychologicalchanges"whichindicatedtheadvanceofmatriarchismover
patriarchism:
"Thewomen'srevolution"
"Children'sandadolescents'revolution,"basedontheworkofBenjaminSpockand
others,allowingchildrennew,andmoreadequatewaystoexpressrebellion
Theriseoftheradicalyouthmovement,whichfullyembracesBachofen,inits
emphasisongroupsex,loosefamilystructure,andunisexclothingandbehaviors
TheincreasinguseofBachofenbyprofessionalstocorrectFreud'soverlysexual
analysisofthemothersonrelationshipthiswouldmakeFreudianismless
threateningandmorepalatabletothegeneralpopulation
"Thevisionoftheconsumerparadise....Inthisvision,techniqueassumesthe
characteristicsoftheGreatMother,atechnicalinsteadofanaturalone,whonurses
herchildrenandpacifiesthemwithaneverceasinglullaby(intheformofradioand
television).Intheprocess,manbecomesemotionallyaninfant,feelingsecureinthe
hopethatmother'sbreastswillalwayssupplyabundantmilk,andthatdecisionsneed
nolongerbemadebytheindividual."
backtoarticle
TheTheoryoftheAuthoritarianPersonality
TheFrankfurtSchooldevisedthe"authoritarianpersonality"profileasaweapontobeused
againstitspoliticalenemies.Thefraudrestsontheassumptionthataperson'sactionsare
notimportantrather,theissueisthepsychologicalattitudeoftheactorasdeterminedby
socialscientistslikethoseoftheFrankfurtSchool.Theconceptisdiametricallyopposedto
theideaofnaturallawandtotherepublicanlegalprinciplesuponwhichtheU.S.was
foundeditis,infact,fascistic,andidenticaltotheideaof"thoughtcrime,"asdescribedby
GeorgeOrwellinhis1984,andtothetheoryof"volitionalcrime"developedbyNazijudge
RolandFreislerintheearly1930's.
WhentheFrankfurtSchoolwasinitsopenlyproBolshevikphase,itsauthoritarian
personalityworkwasdesignedtoidentifypeoplewhowerenotsufficientlyrevolutionary,
sothatthesepeoplecouldbe"reeducated."WhentheFrankfurtSchoolexpandedits
researchafterWorldWarIIatthebehestoftheAmericanJewishCommitteeandthe
RockefellerFoundation,itspurposewasnottoidentifyantiSemitismthatwasmerelya
coverstory.ItsgoalwastomeasureadherencetothecorebeliefsofWesternJudeo
Christiancivilization,sothatthesebeliefscouldbecharacterizedas"authoritarian,"and
discredited.
FortheFrankfurtSchoolconspirators,theworstcrimewasthebeliefthateachindividual
wasgiftedwithsovereignreason,whichcouldenablehimtodeterminewhatisrightand
wrongforthewholesocietythus,totellpeoplethatyouhaveareasonableideatowhich
theyshouldconform,isauthoritarian,paternalisticextremism.
24/25
1/11/2016
Bythesestandards,thejudgesofSocratesandJesuswerecorrectincondemningthesetwo
individuals(as,forexample,I.F.Stoneassertsinonecaseinhis"TrialofSocrates.")Itis
themeasureofourownculturalcollapse,thatthisdefinitionofauthoritarianismis
acceptabletomostcitizens,andisfreelyusedbypoliticaloperationsliketheAnti
DefamationLeagueandtheCultAwarenessNetworkto"demonize"theirpoliticalenemies.
WhenLyndonLaRoucheandsixofhiscolleaguesfacedtrialontrumpedupchargesin
1988,LaRoucheidentifiedthattheprosecutionwouldrelyontheFrankfurtSchool's
authoritarianpersonalityfraud,toclaimthatthedefendants'intentionswereinherently
criminal.Duringthetrial,LaRouche'sdefenseattorneyattemptedtodemonstratethe
FrankfurtSchoolrootsoftheprosecution'sconspiracytheory,buthewasoverruledby
JudgeAlbertBryan,Jr.,whosaid,"I'mnotgoingbackintotheearly1930'sinopening
statementsorinthetestimonyofwitnesses."
backtoarticle
schiller@schillerinstitute.org
TheSchillerInstitute
POBOX20244
Washington,DC200410244
7037718390or8883473258
Thank you for supporting the Schiller Institute. Your membership and contributions
enable us to publish FIDELIOMagazine, and to sponsor concerts, conferences, and
other activities which represent critical interventions into the policy making and
cultural life of the nation and the world.
Contributions and memberships are not tax-deductible.
VISITTHESEOTHERPAGES:
Home | Search | About | Fidelio | Economy | Strategy | Justice | Conferences | Join
Highlights | Calendar | Music | Books | Concerts | Links| Education| Health
What's New | LaRouche | Spanish Pages | Poetry |Maps
Dialogue of Cultures
CopyrightSchillerInstitute,Inc.2001.AllRightsReserved.
25/25

NEW DARK AGE The Frankfurt School and Political Correctness-25

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Originaltitel

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

NEW DARK AGE The Frankfurt School and Political Correctness-25

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

1/11/2016

Home | Search | About | Fidelio | Economy | Strategy | Justice | Conferences | Join

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen