Adorno Biography (Clausen)

14/11/2025 32 min Temporada 1 Episodio 19
Adorno Biography  (Clausen)

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Episode Synopsis

These excerpts from a biography of Theodor W. Adorno explore the philosopher's life and intellectual development, especially within the context of German-Jewish bourgeois culture and exile. The text details Adorno's family history in Frankfurt and his early life as a child prodigy, noting the tension between his traditional upbringing and the forces of modernity and societal alienation. Central themes include his relationships and intellectual debates with fellow thinkers like Walter Benjamin, Max Horkheimer, Siegfried Kracauer, and Bertolt Brecht, as well as his critical perspectives on Goethean concepts of genius, the Culture Industry, and the devastating impact of World War II and the Holocaust on intellectual life. The sources also frequently mention Adorno's major works, such as Minima Moralia and Dialectic of Enlightenment, which served as critical responses to the historical catastrophes of the era.