Nostalgia For A Redeemed Future: Critical Theory

The articles in this book stress the relevance to the present of the early stages of Critical Theory. On the one hand they aim at the recognition of the fundamental role played by such authors as Benjamin, Bloch and Lukacs in the shaping of Critical Theory. On the other hand they reaffirm the fundamental importance of the works of the first philosophers of the Frankfurt School (and in particular Adorno, Horkheimer and Marcuse) against the sometimes hasty consideration of their work as outdated. Each article focuses on specific social, political and aesthetic issues. The essays are organized into three main themes. In the first part of the book are those essays that address theoretical issues in Adorno. The second part addresses more practical issues related to critical theory. The final part looks at elements in Benjamin's aesthetics and then in Adorno.