THEODOR ADORNO: Key Concepts

The issues Theodor Adorno explored in his work are as pressing now as they were then and his ideas continue to have an impact on disciplines as diverse as philosophy, sociology, psychology, cultural studies, musicology and literary theory. An uncompromising critic, even as Adorno contests many of the premises of the philosophical tradition, he also reinvigorates that tradition in his concerted attempt to stem or to reverse potentially catastrophic tendencies in the West.

This book serves as a guide through the intricate labyrinth of Adorno’s work. Expert contributors explain Adorno’s central concerns including identity and non-identity thinking, natural history, reconciliation, mimesis, radical evil and the new categorical imperative, the totally administered world, alienation and reification, progress and freedom, autonomous art and the culture industry, and universal history. The essays make Adorno accessible without simplifying his thought and provide readers with the key concepts needed to decipher Adorno’s often daunting books and essays.

Deborah Cook is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Windsor, Canada.