Adorno

One of the avatars of the Frankfurt School and a key architect of modern critical theory, Theodor Adorno (1903-1969) cast a long intellectual shadow over the twentieth century and left a prolific body of work whose influence has only grown in recent decades. In this seminar, our aim will to be read some of the central works of this German thinker carefully and collaboratively in order to become conversant in some of his chief concerns, methodological interventions, and theoretical contributions. We will pay special attention to his concepts of history, politics, negativity, dialectics, literature, and aesthetic form, while also developing the habits required to engage with complex theoretical work. Given Adorno’s wide span interests and immense influence, any sustained inquiry into his work will necessarily open vistas onto contemporary critical debates. To that end, we will also be examining interventions and dialogues with Adorno by later thinkers such as Edward Said, Gillian Rose, Fred Moten, and Fumi Okiji.