Adorno: A Critical Introduction

Key Contemporary Thinkers (Polity)

by Simon Jarvis

Theodor Adorno is widely acknowledged to be one of the twentieth century's most original thinkers. The extraordinary range of his work is matched by the distinctiveness of his central intellectual preoccupations. This new introduction offers a comprehensive and accessible account of Adorno's work. Jarvis discusses the intellectual and institutional contexts for Adorno's thought and, in a broad-ranging study, examines his contributions to social theory, cultural theory, aesthetics and philosophy. He shows how a re-examination of Adorno's work from the perspective of classical German philosophy allows us to see him from a new and illuminating angle, and ultimately to achieve a fuller understanding of all his thought. In a clear and detailed account, Jarvis demonstrates the enduring coherence and explanatory power of Adorno's work and illustrates its continuing relevance to contemporary debates. The book will be welcomed by students and researchers in a wide range of disciplines, including sociology, philosophy, literary theory and cultural studies.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rock solid recounting of Adorno and his philosophical thought.

[Mark Martin]

One of the better introductions to Adorno's thought.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

~3.75

Dense but understandable for the most part. Took months to go through and while may not have understood it all found it intriguing to think about. Enjoyed chapters ‘A Critical Theory of Society’, ‘The Culture Industry’, ‘Art, Truth, and Ideology’, and ‘Negative Dialectic as Metacritique’ the most. The other weren’t the most interesting to me. Believe that this was a solid introduction.