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Self-mastery and universal history : Horkheimer and Adorno on the conditions of a society 'in control of itself'
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James, David Neil (2017) Self-mastery and universal history : Horkheimer and Adorno on the conditions of a society 'in control of itself'. Philosophy and Social Criticism, 43 (9). pp. 932-952. doi:10.1177/0191453716680127 ISSN 0191-4537.
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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/0191453716680127
Abstract
Horkheimer and Adorno make claims that imply a complete rejection of the idea of a universal history developed in classical German philosophy. Using Kant’s account of universal history, I argue that some features of the idea of a universal history can nevertheless be detected in the Dialectic of Enlightenment and some of Adorno’s remarks on freedom and history. This is done in connection with the kind of rational self-mastery that they associate with the story of Odysseus. Some claims made by Adorno in particular will be shown to imply that this self-mastery is a necessary condition of a better, freer society, especially in relation to this society’s material conditions. On the other hand, certain essential features of the idea of a universal history are clearly absent in virtue of the ultimate contingency of events and states of affairs that Adorno seeks to preserve. I show that the absence of these features and the preservation of contingency are, in fact, the means of saving the notion of the possibility of progress which informs the idea of a universal history.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||
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Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) | ||||||||
Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Philosophy | ||||||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Horkheimer, Max, 1895-1973 -- Influence, Adorno, Theodor W., 1903-1969 -- Influence | ||||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Philosophy and Social Criticism | ||||||||
Publisher: | Sage Publications Ltd. | ||||||||
ISSN: | 0191-4537 | ||||||||
Official Date: | November 2017 | ||||||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 43 | ||||||||
Number: | 9 | ||||||||
Page Range: | pp. 932-952 | ||||||||
DOI: | 10.1177/0191453716680127 | ||||||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||||||
Date of first compliant deposit: | 4 November 2016 | ||||||||
Date of first compliant Open Access: | 26 April 2017 |
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