SOC 001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Consumer Capitalism, Theodor W. Adorno, Max Horkheimer
Document Summary
Originally established in germany in 1932 as the frankfurt institute for social research. Brought together some of the world"s most prominent marxist theorists. But also greatly influenced by freud and weber. Institute moved to nyc in 1935 after the rise of nazism. Social theory should develop critiques of features of society that inhibit human freedom. Major events that shaped the thought of the frankfurt school: failure of working-class revolutions in western europe, transformation of capitalism to a new, mass form of production and consumption ( fordism , nazism and the holocaust. Perpetuated by a capitalist economy that incessantly creates false needs. And turns people into sheep-like beings who think in only one dimension. Focus of modern individual"s action is on efficiency and conforming to external rules and procedures. Marcuse saw this as suppressing individual"s own reasoning, individuality, and expression. Modern economies promise to fulfill all of your needs/desires.