About
Theodor W. Adorno, born Theodor Ludwig Wiesengrund, was a leading figure of the Frankfurt School. After studying philosophy and music, he went into exile in the United States during World War II, where he collaborated with Max Horkheimer on Dialectic of Enlightenment. Returning to Frankfurt, he taught and directed the Institute for Social Research. His critical work addressed society, mass culture, and philosophy, notably in Minima Moralia and Negative Dialectics.
* 1903-09-11 — † 1969-08-06
Major works
- Dialektik der Aufklärung (1947)philosophical essay
- Minima Moralia (1951)philosophical essay
- Negative Dialektik (1966)philosophical essay
- Ästhetische Theorie (1970)philosophical essay
- The Authoritarian Personality (1950)sociological study
Key milestones
- 1924Earned his Ph.D. at the University of Frankfurt with a dissertation on Husserl.
- 1934Fled Nazi Germany and went into exile, first in Oxford, then in the United States.
- 1949Returned to Frankfurt as professor of philosophy and sociology.
Themes
Critique of mass cultureNegative dialecticsInstrumental reasonAutonomy of artCritical theory
Sources: plato.stanford.edu · britannica.com
