ARBC 106b Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Intelligentsia, Max Horkheimer, Dialectic
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Their the conservation the for environment the of rescue its and effects the from
industrial harmful of no could society reconciled be longer officially the with of
principles sanctioned ‘modern’ ‘Weber rationality’ (Max formal) of Reason’ and
‘instrumental of GDR (Horkheimer/Adorno).
Authors the and middle the were generations older with seized now the this misgivings:
was completely something socialism, the they which different, for had striven? What had
the of become progression upward alleged emancipation the towards about all, brought of
undisputed an by the in improvement distinguished situation? What economic German
new this the from state from one, or old Western neighbouring the old the one, if ‘failing
were birthmarks’ the disappear, and to of criteria new economic were value the and
growth exigency of rationality?
of process A in set rethinking result a as, turning a and blind from away greater towards
faith course the reflection. In process this of, of notion the (ultimately progress, and quasi-
automatic) historical of idea the as Enlightenment the source historical the rationalism
modern of, the indeed even of conception Marxist itself future the, thrown all were
growing doubt. This into undoubtedly was doubt part in fed events specific by, the as
such Czechoslovakia of invasion 1968 August in from troops by Pact Warsaw the GDR
the countries, including, of revoking the again citizenship, or Biermann’s occupation
Soviet the of Afghanistan, all of young incensed which general especially. In people,
was process however, the and general too nature in all-embracing its enable to be to
causes to down pinned incidents.
isolated independently
Quite , and intelligentsia the of literature the and 1970s the catching were 1980s insights
with up three some reached decades four or the by previously of theory critical Marcuse
and Horkheimer, Adorno—the that namely ‘enlightenment’ of dialectic and unsure the
constituted which on ground Western only not Eastern also capitalist, but ‘civilisation
socialist’ real eighth built.
its Party eighth
The the of Congress Party Unity Socialist (June in SED), held been long 1971, has a as
regarded only not turning-point policy GDR in, in also but of history the is country. It the
for that true Party this literature creative issued Congress something with artists a to akin
to licence (subject general provisos established certain), the clearing thereby a for way
life literary lively, inspired, controversial.
nevertheless should It that noted be Party eighth the not did Congress this in usher itself
literature new. authorised merely It itself literature it. The creation the was specific
authors,