Negative Dialectics

Negative Dialectics is the title of a work published in 1966 by the philosopher Theodor W. Adorno. Adorno uses the term as synonymous with the term " Critical Theory " and wants to characterize the principles of his philosophy.

Content

Adorno himself describes negative dialectics as follows: "It is the design of a philosophy that does not presuppose the notion of identity of Being and thinking and also does not terminate in it, but just the opposite, ie the divergence modes of concept and thing, wants to articulate between subject and object, and their unforgiveness. "

Under the "divergence Elders of concept and object " is understood to mean that the identification ( identification, literally equalization ) with a term based on the fact of matter is that the similarities of different things are seen as the essence of, and identification with it something of the identity cuts. Abstracting the people in terms that they exert on things from a compulsion resulting from this non-identity of matter and concept. Adorno describes the Negative Dialectic is a philosophical criticism of this type identifying thinking. He understands thereby the method that asks about the difference between concept and thing, even as a socially critical method, since in his opinion the terms on societal standards based, and thus are part of a total delusion context (see the article critical theory). At the Hegelian dialectic criticized Adorno, that affirmation ( affirmation ) not from the negation of negation ( from the negation of the negation ) is to obtain: since the name of the nonidentical in turn is a term that the nonidentical itself can not be fully captured; the results from the non-identity objection therefore can not be synthetically resolved at a higher level, but also embodies - according to Adorno - absolute, irreconcilable opposites that would be caused by conceptual thought. The incompleteness of ( non- identity) of the concept of " non-identical " makes the critical self-reflection of the dialectical thinker necessary. But " self-reflection of the Enlightenment is not its revocation ." Especially against the absolute negativity of Adorno warns, because this is positive as affirmation of negation itself, and thus recant negation.

References to other works

In Negative Dialectics Adorno sees the fundamental considerations that are carried out in many of his materials, content work. In fact, we find the approach described in it in other works, even in earlier, so among other things in the book co-authored with Max Horkheimer, Dialectic of Enlightenment, in Minima Moralia. But even in works that are not subject primarily philosophical content, such as in the notes to the literature or in the " Sociological writings I" we find the approach of negative dialectics. The essay On the relationship between sociology and psychology provides one of many examples of how Adorno questioned with negative dialectic, the truth of social categories.

Effect and criticism

Adorno conceived the Negative Dialectics as his philosophical work. It is considered fundamental to the understanding of Adorno 's philosophy. Since "negative dialectics " not only the title of a work of Adorno is, but as a programmatic concept describes Adorno's philosophy, the effect of Negative Dialectics only describe when you see them in the context of Adorno's work. ( For an account of the criticism in this context see also the article by Theodor W. Adorno and the Articles on Dialectic of Enlightenment and Critical Theory. ) The criticism of Adorno refers often to the thinking described in this book, without explicit reference to the work Negative Dialectics to refer.

Expenditure

  • Negative Dialectics. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 1966 ( first edition )
  • Collected Writings, Volume 6: Negative Dialectics. Jargon of Authenticity. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 1970
  • Lectures on Negative Dialectics. Fragments of the lecture 1965/66. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 2007

Secondary literature

  • Ulrich Müller: Theodor W. Adorno's "negative dialectics ". WBG, Darmstadt 2006
  • Brian O'Connor: Adorno 's Negative Dialectic. Philosophy and the Possibility of Critical Rationality. Cambridge 2005
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