Without Theodore W.Adorno，There is no such philosopher、Music theorist and sociologist，There would be no critical theory。Of course，Others also laid the cornerstones of app bet365 download important school of 20th-century philosophy；There are also some people，Intellektuelles Erscheinungsbild (intellektuelles Erscheinungsbild) was publicly forged in the earliest years of the school's existence。

　The formation of app bet365 download negative approach

Max Horkheimer started the tradition of critical theory later known as the "Frankfurt School"，He was hired as the director of the Institute of Social Research in 1930，The institute was established in Frankfurt in 1923。When Horkheimer has not yet been appointed to a new position，He has gathered around him a circle of like-minded scientists。They share an unorthodox Marxist spirit，Study the structure and dynamics of capitalism at that time。During app bet365 download period, Horkheimer paid special attention to the empirical direction of research planning，The actual development of Western European capitalist society in the form of an interdisciplinary project，Exploring rather than just hypothetical developments。

At the beginning of research，The issue that Horkheimer considers to be particularly significant is: taking into account the changes in the historical situation，The adequacy of the Marxist doctrine of the revolutionary potential of the proletariat at the time。Corresponding to app bet365 download is，Research on the socialization conditions and personality formation of proletarian members influenced by psychoanalysis，Fundamentally defined the image of critical theory in the public sphere at that time。And Adorno is the opposite，He was entrusted by Horkheimer，Engaged in basic research on philosophy and aesthetics at the Institute，Having been completely in the shadow of app bet365 download empirical research activity from the beginning。He talks about methodology、Works on music theory and historical philosophy，Although it is in line with the interests of the small circle of representatives of Western Marxist radicals，But it did not initially have a greater impact within the institute。When the Institute for Social Research Ends Exile in America，After moving back to Frankfurt，app bet365 download critical theory established by Horkheimer，No other name can represent it except Adorno，And app bet365 download is already 20 years later。

Another 20 years have passed，Adorno was regarded by the West German student movement as the intellectual leader of the theoretical school，People will resist the essential impulse to restore and solidify relations within the Federal Republic，Attributed to app bet365 download theoretical school。Today，Thought known as critical theory or the Frankfurt School，Almost equivalent to Adorno’s work。Therefore，The outstanding significance of app bet365 download thinker to one of the most important schools of philosophy in the 20th century，It stems from the radical nature of its negationist approach，From the astonishing scope of his theoretical work，From the uprightness of his ideological attitude。

　　app bet365 download rule is a “total blinding relationship”

When Adorno became a member of the Institute of Social Research in 1930，Just 27 years old。app bet365 download talented young man had already studied music theory in Vienna with the father of twelve-tone music，And studied philosophy in his hometown of Frankfurt am Main。Among his many early works on the methodology of a critical theory，has already shown the characteristics of denialism，These later formed the fundamental characteristics of his entire philosophy and social theory。

After completing the groundbreaking study of Georg Lukács's "History and Class Consciousness"，The young Adorno thought，The world is under the rule of capitalist economy；Only in the form of instrumental calculation of the possibility of control over external nature and internal nature，app bet365 download kind of economy allows human beings to unleash their rational potential。

The unique face of Adorno’s philosophy，Obtained it when he was forced to go into exile in the United States in 1938 due to the Nazi takeover，Before app bet365 download, he had stayed at Oxford University for 3 years for academic research。In the United States，Adorno, who was nearly 40 years old, began to realize，The rational simplification forced by capitalism，It had reached app bet365 download level at that time，so that all the impulses and conduct of social life are compromised by it。Therefore，Adorno began to spread the dominance of capitalism to the world，Understood as a "overall blinding relationship"。Among them，Subject、Nature includes psychological feelings，All are processed according to the same model。app bet365 download model reduces all living things to something purely physical and disposable。Adorno’s negative thought ultimately had such a far-reaching influence，So much so that he is identifiable as both a music theorist and a composer，Only in modern times、Encrypted artwork，There is still a place for social pathology that resists reason。All Adorno’s later works，Whether it is "Negative Dialectics", "Aesthetic Theory" or "Minimum Morality"，Or many cultural criticism collections，They are all witnesses of app bet365 download kind of thinking。It attempts to combat capitalism’s dismemberment of our rational faculties，Reminiscing about sleeping in art、The power of a non-identical world relationship。With the help of app bet365 download motivation and basic idea，Adorno became the spiritual core figure of all critical theory。Anyone working today to continue the tradition of the Frankfurt School，All must accept Adorno’s strict philosophy、Serious and visionary measurement。

Because Adorno’s work is so unique and inseparable in 20th century philosophy，Shanghai People's Publishing House published "The Selected Works of Adorno" from January to August 2020，To benefit the Chinese public。app bet365 download brave step，Not only marks the belated approach between Eastern and Western intellectual culture；And，It is still a clear signal，That is, whether east or west，Today, when economic applied interests and political demands for power have regained their dominance，Everyone needs a kind of thinking。app bet365 download kind of thinking is in the critique of instrumental rationality，Calling for the humane and responsible potential of true reason。Hope app bet365 download is grand、Admirable Chinese publication plan for Adorno’s works，It is also beneficial to China。

(The author is the third generation leader of the Frankfurt School；app bet365 download article is translated by the editorial board of the "Adorno Selected Works" series)

(Author’s affiliation: School of app bet365 download, Columbia University, USA)