Adorno's Aesthetic Theory

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Transcriptions: 

What is Adorno trying to do in "Metitations on Metaphysics?" Strategy of critical thinking. 

  • accepts historically and socially embedded position
  • doesn't presume the higher, transcendental position

What is Dialectic?

1) Immediacy isn't sufficient in figuring out what "x" is. 

2) Isolation takes place, i.e. self-differentiation. ("x" and "not x")

3) "x" has now the capacity for division and self reflection. 

4) "x" is no longer the totality of what is. (creation of negativity)

5) What is NOT "x" is still a representation of "x"

  • realizig this enables restoring the primal unity
  • permits a higher stage of self-understanding
  • identity of identity and non-identiy

6) Dialectic (reconciliation; negation of negation) 

Hegel thinks that everything in the world goes through the process of dialectic, and our modes of understandig things are the structure of rationality. What's crucial about Hegelian dialectic is that reconciliation is the goal/essence of the dialectic. Determinant dialectic BOTH destroyes and shapes. (It cancels but also preserves; Aufhebung--lifting up and cancelling) 

Reconciliation meant the "absolute knowing"--complete manifestation of World-Historical Spirit. 

"We can't say any more that the immutable is truth, ad that mobile, transitory is appearance." 

  • Deeply historicist belief that there's no "eternal" truth, i.e. metaphysics
  • Metaphysics is no longer possible in modernity
  • Metaphysics as Platonic forms is wrong

"After Auschwitz, our feelings resist any claim of the positivity of existence as sanctimonious, as wronging the victims."

  • The split between men and animals is the beginning of the problem
  • somewhat in touch with the "primacy of object"
  • animalistic cry is greater than Hegelian cry (but also has to maintain philosophical sophistication)

What is Negative Dialectics?

  • "doesn't repress the remainders"
  • dialectics without reconciliation--one that holds open the negativity, i.e. not moving onto the negation of negation 
  • determinate negation doesn't allow the connception of "beyond"