History of Frankfurt's Critical Theory

Critical Theory Pustaka Digital Moh.
Shohib||Page 1
Sociological Theory
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
UMD
CRITICAL THEORY
I. HISTORY
FRANKFURT INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH, FEB. 3,

1923
MARXIAN ORIGINS THAT EMPHASIZED

EMANCIPATORY GOALS - PRAXIS
THE 1930'S SAW SPREAD OF DOMINATION; INCREASE IN

INTOLERANCE; GROWING POWER OF STATE;
GROWING INSTRUMENTAL RATIONALITY; LACK OF
CLASS CONSCIENCE - WORKING CLASS MOVEMENTS
DEFEATED
THE INSTITUTE SPENT MOST OF ITS YEARS NOT IN

GERMANY; EXILED FROM 1934-1950
THE EARLY CORE MEMBERS
MAX HORKHEIMER (1895-1973) BECAME DIRECTOR OF

THE INSTITUTE IN 1929
THEODOR ADORNO (1903-1970)
HERBERT MARCUSE (1898-1978)
MUCH OF THEIR WORK WAS REACTION TO

GEORGE LUKACS (1885-1971) AND
KARL KORSCH (1886-1961)
http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/jhamlin/2111/CriticalTheory/criticalnotes.html 2/15/2005
Critical Theory Pustaka Digital Moh. Shohib||Page 2
WHO WERE DESPERATELY TRYING TO FIT MARX INTO

A CHANGING WORLD
MARX HAD SAID:

COMPETITION ELIMINATES COMPETITION
AMONG CAPITALISTS CREATING A
CENTRALIZATION OF WEALTH, AT THE SAME
TIME LABOR BECOMES ALIENATED,
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES INCREASE
PRODUCTIVITY AND/OR REPLACES HUMAN
LABOR AND THERE IS AN INCREASE IN
WORKING CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS.
AS WEALTH ACCUMULATES AT ONE POLE

MISERY ACCUMULATES AT THE OTHER
CREATING TWO GREAT CLASSES. AT THIS
ADVANCED STATE IN THE PROCESS OF
ACCUMULATION THE PROLETARIATE WILL
RISE UP TO DISCARD THE CHAINS OF SLAVERY,
"THE EXPROPRIATORS ARE EXPROPRIATED."
1917 REVOLUTION BEFORE ITS TIME RESULTING IN:
1. NEW MARXIST DEBATE
2. TIME TO REINTERPRET AND REEVALUATE MARXIST

THOUGHT
FELIX WEIL SPONSORED MARXIST WORK WEEK;

CENTERED ON DISCUSSION OF KORSCH'S MARXISM
AND PHILOSOPHY
FIRST DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTE WAS CARL GRUNBERG
HIS FOCUS WAS WITH POLITICAL ECONOMY, TO

VERIFY MARX'S CRITIQUE OF CAPITALISM
HORKHEIMER (1929) CONTINUED TWO PRACTICES OF

GRUNBERG'S TO BRING IN INTELLECTUALS FROM ALL
FIELDS OF STUDY AND TO KEEP A TIGHT CONTROL ON
THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENTS
THE MOVE TO THE U.S. ONLY MADE THE INSTITUTE

MORE REMOVED INTELLECTUALLY FROM EVERYONE
II. THEIR IDEAS
MUCH OF THE DEBATE WITHIN MARXISM CENTERED

ON THE VASTLY DIFFERENT APPROACHES TAKEN BY
SOVIET MARXISM (OFFICIAL MARXISM) AND THE
HEGELIAN MARXISM OF KORSCH AND LUKACS
DOES DIALECTICAL DEVELOPMENT REFER TO BOTH

SOCIETY AND NATURE OR JUST SOCIETY?
DOES REVOLUTION COME OUT OF HISTORICAL

NECESSITY OR BECAUSE THE PROLETARIATE
BECOMES CLASS CONSCIOUS?
IN BOTH CASES THE SUBJECT-OBJECT RELATIONSHIP

IS DESTROYED
WITHIN THE INSTITUTE SOME (GROSSMAN)
MAINTAINED THE ORTHODOX POSITION, WHILE

OTHERS (FROMM) LOOKED MORE AT THE SUBJECTIVE
LUKACS USED THE CONCEPT OF REIFICATION

(SIMILAR TO COMMODITY FETISHISM) TO DESCRIBE
SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND HOW THEY HAD BECOME
OBJECTS - MANIPULATED, BOUGHT AND SOLD
FROM WEBER LUKACS TOOK THE NOTION OF

RATIONALITY AND CHANGED IT TO CALCULATION;
AS TURNER STATES (PG. 256)
"AS TRADITIONAL SOCIETIES CHANGE, ...,THERE
IS LESS RELIANCE ON MORAL STANDARDS AND
PROCESSES OF COMMUNICATION TO ACHIEVE
SOCIETAL INTEGRATION; INSTEAD, THERE IS
MORE UTILIZATION OF MONEY, MARKETS, AND
RATIONAL CALCULATIONS. AS A RESULT,
RELATIONS ARE COORDINATED BY EXCHANGE
VALUES AND BY PEOPLE'S PERCEPTIONS OF ONE
ANOTHER AS `THINGS.'"
IF THIS IS THE HISTORICALLY PROCESS, HOW CAN IT

BE STOPPED? (REMEMBER GOAL IS EMANCIPATION)
LUKACS DRAWS ON HEGEL - DON'T LOOK TO

MATERIAL CONDITIONS BUT RATHER DIALECTICAL
FORCES IN HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS
THERE IS A LIMIT TO HOW MUCH HUMAN'S WILL TAKE
WHEN IT COMES TO RATIONALIZATION
THE SOLUTION TO DOMINATION AND THE KEY TO

EMANCIPATION RESIDES IN MAKING PEOPLE MORE
CONSCIOUS OF THEIR CONDITION THROUGH
HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF REIFICATION
HORKHEIMER AND ADORNO QUESTIONED THE

HEGELIAN SOLUTION
THEY MAINTAINED YOU CAN'T SEPARATE

CONSCIOUSNESS AND MATERIAL CONDITIONS
CRITICAL THEORY NEEDS TO DESCRIBE THE FORCES

AT WORK AND EXPOSE IDEOLOGICAL JUSTIFICATIONS
FOR CURRENT PRACTICES ETC.
DEVELOPMENT OF IDEAS ABOUT OPPRESSION AND

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT IS COURSE OF HUMAN
STRUGGLE
"[THE] VALUE OF THEORY IS NOT DECIDED ALONE BY

THE FORMAL CRITERIA OF TRUTH... BUT BY ITS
CONNECTION WITH TASKS, WHICH IN THE
PARTICULAR HISTORICAL MOMENT ARE TAKEN UP BY
PROGRESSIVE SOCIAL FORCES."
THEY ACCEPTED MARXISM BUT REJECTED

POSITIVISM; EVOLUTIONISM; SCIENTISM
THEY ALSO BELIEVED THAT THE PROLETARIATE HAD

LOST ITS REVOLUTIONARY ROLE IN MODERN
CAPITALISM;
WHERE 19TH CAPITALISM CREATED NUMBERS OF

PUBLIC SPHERE INSTITUTIONS AS ARENAS WHERE
BUSINESS AND CULTURE ITSELF WHERE ORGANIZED
AND PRODUCED
20TH CENTURY CAPITALISM PRODUCED A

CENTRALIZED ECONOMY AND POLITY
DOMINATE IDEAS EMERGE THAT STRESS

COLLECTIVISM IN THE FORM OF CONFORMITY TO THE
SYSTEM
AS WEBER SAW, CHOICES NARROW EVEN MORE, THE

AUTONOMOUS INDIVIDUAL WITH CHOICES NARROWS
TO A FEW BUREAUCRATIC CHOICES
JURGEN HABERMAS
WANTS TO USE REASON AS THE STANDARD AND GOAL

TO ASSESS ALL THOUGHT AND ACTION
(ENLIGHTENMENT IDEAL)
"...HABERMAS WANTS TO DEFEND THE BELIEF IN

PROGRESS, IN A WORLD-HISTORICAL EVOLUTION
TOWARD THE REALIZATION OF REASON IN THE
WORLD."
HABERMAS STARTED WITH AN ANALYSIS OF THE

PUBLIC SPHERE,
HE SEES IT AS THAT SEGMENT OF SOCIAL LIFE WHERE

PEOPLE CAN BRING UP AND DISCUSS WITHOUT
REFERENCE TO CUSTOM, FORCE ETC. ISSUES OF
GENERAL INTEREST & WHERE THEY CAN RESOLVE

DIFFERENCES THROUGH RATIONAL ARGUMENT
WHERE MIGHT THIS BE? CLUBS, CAFES, JOURNALS,

NEWSPAPERS, ETC.
SEE HOW IMPORTANT THE CONTROL OVER PUBLIC

OPINION CAN BE (MILLS)
THE PUBLIC SPHERE HAS BEEN ALL BUT ELIMINATED
THE STATE HAS INTRUDED INTO THE ECONOMY AND

PUBLIC LIFE
THE STATE REDEFINES PROBLEMS NEEDING PUBLIC

DISCUSSION, TO TECHNICAL ONES; THE SOLUTIONS
ARE TECHNOLOGICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE NOT
DEBATE AND ARGUMENTATION
HIS CRITICAL THEORY IS CLEAR; A. DECLINE OF

FREEDOM AND INCREASE OF DOMINATION WITH
EXPANSION OF CAPITALISM AND BUREAUCRATIZED
STATE AND THE POWER OF STATE TO CONSTRUCT AND
CONTROL SOCIAL LIFE
SOLUTION - RECREATE PUBLIC SPHERE
HE STARTS WITH CRITIQUE OF TRADITIONAL SCIENCE

KNOWLEDGE IS TIED TO HUMAN INTERESTS
SCIENCE IS ONE TYPE OF KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM

DESIGNED TO MEET ONE TYPE OF HUMAN INTEREST
THREE TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE
1. EMPIRICAL/ANALYTIC KNOWLEDGE DESIGNED TO

UNDERSTAND THE LAWS OF THE MATERIAL
WORLD
2. HERMENEUTIC/HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE
DEVOTED TO UNDERSTANDING MEANINGS
3. CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE DEVOTED TO UNCOVERING

CONDITIONS THAT LEAD TO CONSTRAINT AND
DOMINATION
THREE TYPES OF HUMAN INTERESTS
1. TECHNICAL INTEREST IN REPRODUCTION OF

EXISTENCE
2. PRACTICAL INTEREST IN UNDERSTANDING THE

MEANINGS OF SITUATIONS
3. EMANCIPATORY INTEREST IN FREEDOM AND

IMPROVEMENT
THESE SEEM TO BE HUMAN IMPERATIVES BUILT INTO

ORGANIZED SOCIETIES
THE PROBLEM OR CRISIS OF LATE CAPITALISM SEEMS

NOT TO BE IN THE MATERIAL PRODUCTION OF
SOCIETY (MARX)
RATHER THERE IS A CRISIS IN MEANING AND

COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL LIFE
NEED TO FOCUS ON COMMUNICATIVE AND

INTERACTIVE PROCESSES
WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE IDEAL TYPE OF

UNDISTORTED COMMUNICATION, THIS SHOULD HELP
US LOCATE DISTORTED COMMUNICATION AND
EXPOSE THE CONDITIONS THAT DISTORT IT
AS HABERMAS STATES:
"IF WE ASSUME THAT THE HUMAN SPECIES
MAINTAINS ITSELF THROUGH THE SOCIALLY
COORDINATED ACTIVITIES OF ITS MEMBERS
AND THAT THIS COORDINATION IS
ESTABLISHED THROUGH COMMUNICATION --
AND IN CERTAIN SPHERES OF LIFE, THROUGH
COMMUNICATION AIMED AT REACHING
AGREEMENT -- THEN THE REPRODUCTION OF
THE SPECIES ALSO REQUIRES SATISFYING THE
CONDITIONS OF A RATIONALITY INHERENT IN
COMMUNICATIVE ACTION."
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Critical Theory Pustaka Digital Moh.

FRANKFURT INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH, FEB. 3,

MARXIAN ORIGINS THAT EMPHASIZED

THE 1930'S SAW SPREAD OF DOMINATION; INCREASE IN

THE INSTITUTE SPENT MOST OF ITS YEARS NOT IN

THE EARLY CORE MEMBERS

MAX HORKHEIMER (1895-1973) BECAME DIRECTOR OF

MUCH OF THEIR WORK WAS REACTION TO

WHO WERE DESPERATELY TRYING TO FIT MARX INTO

MARX HAD SAID:

AS WEALTH ACCUMULATES AT ONE POLE

1917 REVOLUTION BEFORE ITS TIME RESULTING IN:

1. NEW MARXIST DEBATE

2. TIME TO REINTERPRET AND REEVALUATE MARXIST

FELIX WEIL SPONSORED MARXIST WORK WEEK;

FIRST DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTE WAS CARL GRUNBERG

HIS FOCUS WAS WITH POLITICAL ECONOMY, TO

HORKHEIMER (1929) CONTINUED TWO PRACTICES OF

THE MOVE TO THE U.S. ONLY MADE THE INSTITUTE

II. THEIR IDEAS

MUCH OF THE DEBATE WITHIN MARXISM CENTERED

DOES DIALECTICAL DEVELOPMENT REFER TO BOTH

DOES REVOLUTION COME OUT OF HISTORICAL

IN BOTH CASES THE SUBJECT-OBJECT RELATIONSHIP

WITHIN THE INSTITUTE SOME (GROSSMAN)

MAINTAINED THE ORTHODOX POSITION, WHILE

LUKACS USED THE CONCEPT OF REIFICATION

FROM WEBER LUKACS TOOK THE NOTION OF

IF THIS IS THE HISTORICALLY PROCESS, HOW CAN IT

LUKACS DRAWS ON HEGEL - DON'T LOOK TO

THERE IS A LIMIT TO HOW MUCH HUMAN'S WILL TAKE

WHEN IT COMES TO RATIONALIZATION

THE SOLUTION TO DOMINATION AND THE KEY TO

HORKHEIMER AND ADORNO QUESTIONED THE

THEY MAINTAINED YOU CAN'T SEPARATE

CRITICAL THEORY NEEDS TO DESCRIBE THE FORCES

DEVELOPMENT OF IDEAS ABOUT OPPRESSION AND

"[THE] VALUE OF THEORY IS NOT DECIDED ALONE BY

THEY ACCEPTED MARXISM BUT REJECTED

THEY ALSO BELIEVED THAT THE PROLETARIATE HAD

WHERE 19TH CAPITALISM CREATED NUMBERS OF

20TH CENTURY CAPITALISM PRODUCED A

DOMINATE IDEAS EMERGE THAT STRESS

AS WEBER SAW, CHOICES NARROW EVEN MORE, THE

WANTS TO USE REASON AS THE STANDARD AND GOAL

"...HABERMAS WANTS TO DEFEND THE BELIEF IN

HABERMAS STARTED WITH AN ANALYSIS OF THE

HE SEES IT AS THAT SEGMENT OF SOCIAL LIFE WHERE

GENERAL INTEREST & WHERE THEY CAN RESOLVE

WHERE MIGHT THIS BE? CLUBS, CAFES, JOURNALS,

SEE HOW IMPORTANT THE CONTROL OVER PUBLIC

THE PUBLIC SPHERE HAS BEEN ALL BUT ELIMINATED

THE STATE HAS INTRUDED INTO THE ECONOMY AND

THE STATE REDEFINES PROBLEMS NEEDING PUBLIC

HIS CRITICAL THEORY IS CLEAR; A. DECLINE OF

SOLUTION - RECREATE PUBLIC SPHERE

HE STARTS WITH CRITIQUE OF TRADITIONAL SCIENCE

SCIENCE IS ONE TYPE OF KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM

THREE TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE

1. EMPIRICAL/ANALYTIC KNOWLEDGE DESIGNED TO

3. CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE DEVOTED TO UNCOVERING

THREE TYPES OF HUMAN INTERESTS

1. TECHNICAL INTEREST IN REPRODUCTION OF

2. PRACTICAL INTEREST IN UNDERSTANDING THE

History of Frankfurt's Critical Theory

History of Frankfurt's Critical Theory