Description
Lessons on Negative Dialectics
Book Summary
This work collects the lectures delivered by Theodor Adorno in 1966, coinciding with the writing of his seminal work Negative Dialectics. The author addresses the fundamental question regarding the possibility of philosophy after the failure to transform the world, as promised by Marxist thought. Through a critical dialogue with Marx, Hegel, and Kant, Adorno explores how to conceive of a philosophical thought that does not renounce truth or social criticism, offering a rigorous introduction to one of the key texts of the 20th century.
What is it about?
The book starts from a central observation: philosophy remains alive because it did not achieve its practical realization—that is, it failed to change the world as it intended. From there, Adorno unfolds an analysis that questions the possibilities and limits of philosophical thought in late modernity. The lectures examine the tensions between theory and praxis, reviewing the legacies of Hegel and Marx, as well as Kantian critique. Adorno proposes a negative dialectic that rejects reconciliatory synthesis and systematic totality, defending a mode of thought that keeps contradiction and non-identity alive as forms of resistance against the reification of the world.
Main themes
- The crisis of philosophy after the failure of its practical realization
- Critique of Hegelian dialectics and the notion of totality
- Revision of Marxism and the relationship between theory and praxis
- The concept of negative dialectics as non-reconciliatory thought
- The relevance of Kant and the critique of instrumental reason
Who is it recommended for?
Students and specialists in philosophy, critical theory, and social sciences interested in the thought of the Frankfurt School. Also for readers with prior training in German philosophy who wish to understand in depth Adorno's work and his proposal for a dialectic that does not seek synthesis, but rather constant criticism of social conditions and thought itself.
What this book offers
- An accessible and didactic introduction to the fundamental concepts of negative dialectics
- The context of the development of one of the most influential philosophical works of the 20th century
- A critical analysis of the relationships between Hegel, Marx, and Kant from Adorno's perspective
- Conceptual tools for thinking about philosophy as social criticism without falling into dogmatism
- The first translation into Spanish of these lectures, previously unpublished in our language
Technical specifications
- Author: Theodor Adorno
- Publisher: Eterna Cadencia SL
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Ethics and moral philosophy
- Collection: Essay
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: November 2020
- Number of pages: 368
- Weight: 400 g
Editorial review
This edition represents an exceptional opportunity to access Adorno's thought in its most germinal and dialogical state. The lectures offer an entryway into the complexity of negative dialectics without sacrificing philosophical rigor, allowing the reader to follow the gestation process of a work that marked a turning point in critical theory. Its translation into Spanish fills an important void for students of contemporary philosophy.