Society · 19 min
Dialectic of Enlightenment
By Theodor W. Adorno | Max Horkheimer
This episode explores how the very tools of reason and progress, meant to liberate us, can subtly construct new forms of control, eroding individual freedom and critical thought.
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Category
Society
Duration
19 min
What it is about
Critical Theory, Instrumental Reason, Culture Industry, Modernity's Paradox
Who it is for
If you've ever felt that the systems designed for efficiency and progress subtly diminish your autonomy or leave you feeling more predictable a crucial lens, and this will help you see what to do next.
The author
Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer, foundational thinkers of the Frankfurt School, offered a searing critique of modernity, observing how the very structures of enlightenment could paradoxically lead to new forms of societal control and individual unfreedom.
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