The Adorno Reader (Blackwell Readers)

This volume is the essential collection of readings from the multidisciplinary work of Theodor Adorno, one of the most influential and admired German thinkers of the twentieth century.

In order to allow a ready appreciation of a specific area of Adorno's thought, The Adorno Reader organizes the most important of his writings into five sections: the task of philosophy, the concepts of philosophy, sociological writings, culture, and aesthetic criticism.

In addition to a general introduction, the editor has provided individual introductions to all of the material in the book. By explicating some of the more obscure terminology and arguments these introductions clearly situate each piece within the larger context of Adorno's writings and his philosophical tradition.

This superb volume brings together for the first time the essential readings selections from Adorno's multidisciplinary work. It will be valuable to readers at various levels as it makes available Adorno material which previously was either difficult to access or was presented in a form which was intimidating.

This superb volume brings together for the first time essential selections from the multidisciplinary work of Theodor Adorno, sociologist and philosopher of the Frankfurt School.

The selections are divided into sections, each containing the most pertinent and influential of Adorno's writings: the task of philosophy, the concepts of philosophy, sociological writings, culture, and aesthetic criticism. The editor has provided introductions to all of the material in the book, situating it within the larger context of Adorno's work as well as explicating some of the more obscure terminology and arguments.

Invaluable to readers at all levels, The Adorno Reader makes available material which previously was either difficult to access or presented in an intimidating form.

Brian O'Connor is Lecturer in Philosophy at University College Dublin. He was previously a college lecturer at Oxford University.

Acknowledgements.

A Note on Selections.

Introduction.

Part I: The Task of Philosophy: .

1. The Actuality of Philosophy.

2. Why Philosophy?.

3. Negative Dialectics and The Possibility of Philosophy.

4. The Melancholy Science.

5. Meditations on Metaphysics: After Auschwitz.

Part II: The Concepts of Philosophy: .

6. The Essay as Form.

7. Metacritique of Epistemology.

8. Subject and Object.

Part III: Sociology: .

9. The Concept of Enlightenment.

10. Sociology and Empirical Research.

Part IV: Art, Culture and Society:.

11. Cultural Criticism and Society.

12. Lyric Poetry and Society.

13. Culture Industry Reconsidered.

14. The Autonomy of Art.

Part V: Criticism: .

15. The Perennial Fashion - Jazz.

16. Arnold Schoenberg, 1874-1951.

17. Alienated Masterpiece: The Missa Solemnis.

18. Trying to Understand Endgame.

Select Bibliography.

Index.