Critical Theory, The Frankfurt School, Adorno and Horkheimer, and the Culture Industries Explained

[@universityquickcourse6623]

We appreciate your feedback. Let us know what you think and what subjects you're looking to have explained in understandable language.

[@fadwasadik2277]

Thank you so much 💕

[@ravinderp7658]

Ur work is really appreciatable💯💯💐💐

[@galileoshift8330]

where is part 2 , thank you

[@summaryadav5484]

Concepts in literary theory

[@crforfreedom7407]

You stated that Critical Theory was developed at the Frankfurt School after WWII. That is incorrect. These men came to the US in the 1930s due to the purge of Hebrews from Deutsche society before that war began. Critical theory was developed in the 1920s after WWI. The failure of Marx' 'dialectic prophesy' was realized after WWI, not WWII.

[@pejamaurovisagie8807]

Among the most simple, profound, and enlightening tutorials on Critical Theory, here on KZbin. Very very much appreciloved. Thank you.

[@olafbellefroid3393]

I got a Disney+ ad before this. Ironic

[@ghania5869]

Lmao me too

[@williamkercher9284]

Same here

[@liamonconlocha4898]

Obey your masters, when Disney calls you should answer.

[@scott.wallace8625]

I will send this to people who think I'm nuts when I talk about the Frankfurt school. Thanks well done

[@universityquickcourse6623]

Thanks. Appreciate it.

[@marissashantez6051]

I dont think it will help. I wasn't too thrilled. I wish I could find a more objective rather then sugar coated description. After all, their efforts have not led to much good.

[@scott.wallace8625]

@@marissashantez6051 yep covid convinced there is zero interest in any information outside the bubble

[@Stevie-J]

It's so funny how a bunch of Marxist intellectuals developed strategies for social change, literally a cultural shift towards Marxism... and now their body of work is derided as a "conspiracy theory" if you mention it online

[@-Swamp_Donkey-]

@@marissashantez6051VertigoPolitix did a good bit on the Frankfurt School. Won’t find it on KZbin, but still findable.

[@joea363]

Just FYI: staring at 1:03, the pictures and names of Horkheimer and Habermas are mismatched.

[@lindal.7243]

No, adorno and habermas

[@joea363]

@@lindal.7243 No Adorno is second from the left, correct picture and name. The picture on the far left is Max Horkheimer. The picture of Habermas is on the far right. Clearly, the names are reversed.

[@kehindeonakunle5730]

Excellent lecture on Max Horkheimer and Theodore Adorno's abstruse Dialectic of Enlightenment. Great Teaching

[@boc413]

The illusion of consumer choice referred to at approx 6.00 can be seen in the 2 party political systems of the UK and USA

[@alexandravalerious3274]

the uk doesnt have two parties ,,, labour green tory ukip just to name a few

[@liamonconlocha4898]

Wow dude, the UK has a couple of other parties and they are not banned from certain parts of Britain. The US has a Green Party which cannot run in certain states. The two parties want that status quo to continue and the Great Unwashed refer to it as democracy. Young people died on many global battlefield for Capitalism not for Democracy, for Banking systems but not for democracy. THen again, your history books are filled with propaganda

[@maryajamal2942]

This helped me with my marxism and communism exam, thank you so much!

[@Sattelitespaass]

@Jake Johnson jake Johnson shouldn’t you be filing the new spider-man animated film?

[@Aman-qr6wi]

😂😂

[@marissashantez6051]

I just bet. Its a nice positive spin on one of the m most destructive movements that exists.

[@alfonsoteja]

I just found you. Not a young one from Monterrey Mexico. My field is mass communication. Empirical, just 50 years in the media, on the critical side. I'll be here!

[@alighieroalighieri404]

The first one on the left is Max Horkheimer while the last one on the right is Habermas

[@universityquickcourse6623]

Thanks for the clarification.

[@skeptic3045]

@University Quick Course At 1:12 you have to switch the names of Max Horkheimer and Jürgen Habermas.

[@universityquickcourse6623]

Noted. Thanks for your reply.

[@ellaunderwood9921]

how can we reference the information in this video e.g., at 5:44 when the info isn't in quotation marks? is it still from their book?

[@andrjsh]

“He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom.” Gandalf to Saruman.

[@SuperTonyony]

I haven't thoroughly enjoyed a new book or a new movie since the early '90's. Everything feels like a copy of a copy of something I've read or seen a dozen times before. I find myself simply re-reading classic books or re-watching classic movies that I know were actually original when they debuted.

[@wodensol5000]

You're not looking in the right place. Check out Bronze Age Mindset by Bronze Age Pervert.

[@fayeoliviafillingham]

FYI the academics at 1:10 are labelled on the wrong images

[@alicekaniova]

Wait, wasn't Critical Theory developed BEFORE WW2 and after WW1?

[@crforfreedom7407]

Yes. The Frankfurt School was dissolved and basically most came to the US in the 1930s, Marx' dialectic prophecy was considered failed after WWI, not WWII, you're quite correct.

[@antikytheramechanism7909]

They had that "Revolutionary Spirit" as E. Michael Jones says.

[@jayfisher3359]

Culture wars?

[@liamonconlocha4898]

You mean the one that America lost a long time ago along with every nation of the western world.

[@Bobbyblabby413]

5:03? The EU flag is a sign of revolutionary struggle against big tech and entertainment industries?

[@manel_vassalo]

I am also confused

[@thinchcommunications7151]

Looks like a political cartoon where the EU is standing up to Apple and other large corporations. A Different Bias,a KZbin channel I really like, talks about how when Mark Zuckerberg was called by the UK Parliament he sent a lackey, but he himself showed up when the EU called him to testify.

[@juliettepierre8289]

Thank you for this summary! Helped so much

[@toxo_wb]

wow. juxtaposed to contemporary society or societies across the world their theory holds up firmly.

[@marniwesterman3566]

HI - just FYI the labels on the pictures of Habermas and Horkheimer are reversed.

[@stuarthicks2696]

Lord and Bondsman. Just when you thought you were free. No end of history here kids. Damn, hate when that happens.

[@fabriziomaccallini]

@1:15 first and last pics are the other way round

[@vicm5272]

A transcript would be fantastic!!

[@rutendom737]

Hi Vic, if you're on the desktop version and click the the dots (...) after the "save" button, there's an option to open KZbin's autogenerated transcript.

[@hahasimp]

Pardon me if this is a dumb question..if adorno and hork set out to explain why the revolution didnt happen according to marx, what if marx was wrong about the possibility of the revolution to begin with

[@73Goodfellow]

He clearly was. It blows my mind that this failed ideology still convinces anyone.

[@TallicaMan1986]

@@73Goodfellow It has it's merits. I just feel they had an answer and forced the paths to lead them to their own answer instead of following the paths to their natural conclusions. Adorno is mostly right about American style consumerism and in reality. It's actually just a facade. The american way of life looks like that because it gathered resources incredibly unfairly. That isn't sustainable. We're clearly coming to a giving point including Canada. Something is going to give and recently? The US dollar is losing it's strength by extension Canada may follow. Why? Countries no longer need US dollars to Trade Oil anymore. America in the next 10 years is going to go through some dire straights' entirely of their own making. Maybe Trumps Bitcoin initiative could work? The Culture will need to fundamentally change, because as it turns out. Freedom in America mean't the rest of the world had to play ball due to the extreme resources needed to obtain that. Now that several nations are economically, politically and militarily in better positions compared to back then. The US can't leverage that power they once had anymore. The Crux of this is Power Dynamics. How do we get that back in the hands of the individual and the community instead of outsourcing it? The thing is this can all exist in capitalism because the vast majority of the problem is as it has been for like 400 years in North America was Corporations. Them founding fathers warned us all about it and we didn't listen.

[@wesjones1417]

The idea of Marx being wrong never crosses the mind of delusional Marxist “thinkers”.

[@johncasey9347]

Habermas and Horkheimer’s photo’s are reversed

[@marshacd]

The New York Times satisfies all my cultural needs. All my friends agree. NO LAUGHING NO LAUGHING NO LAUGHING

[@samuel5742]

>"Critical Theory was developed after world war two" >Traditional and Critical Theory, Max Horkheimer, 1937 Uh huh...

[@lindal.7243]

They „started“ in the 1930s but bc of WW2 they had to flee!! So they developed critical theory after WW2! Do your research

[@samuel5742]

@@lindal.7243 I'm literally citing the name of the seminal publication and the date it was published

[@lindal.7243]

@@samuel5742 Still, my reply answers your confusion.

[@ShekkoKartell]

@@lindal.7243WW2 started because of how they wanted to change the world

[@ryanstephenson1418]

You mislabeled Jurgen Habermas and Max Horkheimer. We dock you.

[@MBarachet]

They started after WWI, not WWII

[@ShekkoKartell]

Yes, it was a big reason why WW2 started actually

[@TraciWilsonKleekamp]

I would like a transcript?

[@ayouxy]

People used to dislike me for being that one guy who always correct others' grammar, pronunciation and way of using words. They also hated how I'm always looking for words' ethemology...now they're going to detest me for being that one hipster who unironically uses the word sheeple and kills the fun everywhere...thanks college for making me such an insufferable person...the only girl who'll like me now is someone from the same college as I and then we'll become that one couple no one invites

[@bradhamilton4290]

Society: your welcome

[@ayouxy]

@@bradhamilton4290 *you're welcome

[@73Goodfellow]

I’m sure you were insufferable before college. College probably just made you more smug and irrationally confident.

[@AbsurdityViewer]

Etymology

[@truthuniversity6433]

Volume very low.

[@fruitbat_j7405]

@1:14 One could at least have made the effort to assign the names correctly.

[@satprakash1627]

Nicely explained. Thank you

[@skeptic3045]

The Frankfurt school were / is a bunch of pseudo intellectuals. The most famous one is Adorno. His most famous work is "The authoritarian personality" . In this methodologically flawed study he claims that authoritarianism can only exist on the political right. His work was published in the 1950s. In the 1930s Stalin let about 5 million Ukrainians starve to death during the holodomor to demonstrate his power. Yet Adorno claims authoritarianism can only exist on the poltical right. Also Horkheimer blamed science for the existence of National socialism "Horkheimer therefore concludes that the positivist separation of reason and reality provided the basis for the coexistence of science and national socialism: by “failing to fail,” by allowing reason to exist within a fundamentally unjust and violent society, the sciences contributed to making the latter “respectable.” And he locates this separation of reason and reality in a particular historical context. Liberal capitalist society, he argues, is not directed by a plan, governed by a particular authority, or oriented toward a com- mon goal. Instead, the whole of liberal society emerges simply as the result of a myriad of particular relationships, as the result of competition between different individuals and groups (Horkheimer, 1968: 22, 24-25). As long as the whole of society is unreasonable, therefore, reason cannot come into its own (Horkheimer, 1968: 27-29, 36)." Regarding empircism and their rejection of: "A fundamental critique of the structure should necessarily be philosophical. However, it is clear that such a critique cannot do without reference to the actual world. The difference with the Institut’s research in the 1930s was that objectivity was no longer a primary goal. Instead of focusing on an empirical methodology, Horkheimer and Adorno gave a philosophical interpretation of the world." "At the same time that Horkheimer and Adorno rejected the need of quantitative research in their philosophical work, the Institut had to actively engage in it to save its existence. Despite its attempts to get rid of metaphysical commitments and ideological preferences, the Institut failed to develop an objective, scientific sociology." The philosopher Karl Popper classified the whole of Adorno's work as "rhetoric in German language". Throughout existence the Frankfurt school opposed empiricism (a cornerstone of every non-formal science). This is the reason why these ideologues have not produced anything useful in one century. Yet they claim to be more objectiv than science. Bunch of lunatics

[@kamilebrahimoff3589]

Good description of Critical Theory.

[@posthardcoresinger]

It's crazy how effective intelligent well written academics can manage to reaffirm their own childhood ideologies by devoting their lives to self validation. Basic supply and demand accounts for the wealth of products and advertising to different categories of consumer, they're right about economic incentives essentially but then attempt to tie it into some grand conspiracy out of left field with no evidence and theorizing only...

[@Sattelitespaass]

I feel like Horkheimer and Adorno are a little to harsh with this theory. Walter Benjamin’s take is a bit more reasonable.

[@skeptic3045]

Because grammar and language skills aren't indicative of high intelligence...

[@liamonconlocha4898]

You know you really have to start thinking a bit deeper, how come people who buy cameras keeping wanting the latest version although the latest version is not much else that sales talk> These are false needs created by consumer societies, just like all those stupid constructions such as Christmas day, New Year, Fathers' Day etc etc. All hijacked by consumerism to feed into your false needs, just like Black FRiday. You have been given propaganda from day one, so you believe all the bullshit of your society. I shall light a candle for you

[@addyadrian8922]

Thanks really helped me with my assignment. 254🙌

[@Sattelitespaass]

@Jake Johnson lmao Jake they need you on set

[@bkayldn]

Very helpful👍🏾 thank you

[@bengrinehajar949]

I Don't know how to thank you !

[@soniasalazar9215]

Thanks this helped me understand critical theory!

[@markofsaltburn]

Adorno was definitely the hotter of the two.

[@SPACEDOUT19]

F YOU MARK !!!!

[@CIMAmotor]

Twaddle is pronounced 'twoddle.'

[@MrGangstabitch99]

no it is not

[@jessefrazier6305]

Grammar nazi much?

[@MrGangstabitch99]

@@jessefrazier6305 grammar is pronounced "gra-mmer"

[@CIMAmotor]

@@jessefrazier6305 What has my reply got to do with grammar? Twerp much?

[@socio_coach]

Thank you for the information ❤

[@chrisgavin2794]

These thinkers always make me think of Joker from the Dark Knight. “Sometimes you gotta things yourself”

[@liamonconlocha4898]

Well that's what happens when you live in a hollywood reality, and you consume and are 'happy' without asking any important questions

[@switch9636]

2:07 2:42 2:58 3:28

[@petjobedet4650]

All that and no mention of Communism.

[@liamonconlocha4898]

Communism is not the problem, although if you live on that side of the pond it has been pushed down your throats mostly to win elections, oh and socialism as well, why? The fat man doesn't want you to have a fair wage for whta you do, he wnats a minimum wage at the very most, and he would like you to slave away for that as long as you live. He also didn't mention Norwegians and what a great life they have compared to their poor US cousins. When they told you about nasty communism, I bet they never mentioned the 2nd homes in the countryside of many people living in Ex Communist countries? Don'r believe the propaganda, it's only there to frighten you

[@michaelnumber88]

Is the communism in the room with us now?

[@SecondVelcory]

This is just one of many examples that illustrate that social science isn't science at all, especially sociology. Real scientists come up with a hypothesis or even a theory (IF there is evidence for the hypothesis) and then try to examine if the hypothesis or theory hold up to reality and if reality contradicts it - the hypothesis or theory is considered debunked. What these guys did was observe all the many, many ways in which reality proved Marxist theory wrong but rather than accept that Marx was wrong they started stretching and coming up with more and more excuses and far fetched explanations to try to prove that they weren't really wrong. In fact they took it several steps further by insisting that they knew better than the workers themselves what was good for them. The "foolish" people believed that their working conditions had improved significantly since the days of Marx and that they were now happy and content with their lives but the Frankfurt school people knew better. Fast forward to the 21st century and you still have sociologists - especially Marxists - who believe they know better what's good for the people than the people themselves and that if the facts and reality fly in the face of their perfect theory then the problem is with reality, not their theory. It's pseudoscience at it's very worst.

[@John8-32EnglishFortheFamily]

Marxism is an ideological cancer and Marxists are the carriers of that cancer that infects the mind not the body. Hence why this mental disease survives through the generations.

[@SecondVelcory]

@@John8-32EnglishFortheFamily Yeah... well that kind of thing is not uncommon for the human race, considering how many people join cults and remain in cults for long periods of time (so long as the cult doesn't order them to commit mass suicide etc'). The cult feeds them ideas that are built on faulty premises and then isolate them from other people with ideas that contradict their narrative. The difference between this and a typical cult is that it somehow managed to take root in academia and even claim to be a form of "science" and from there spread out the the MSM and it managed to do this despite the fact that academia is supposed to have mechanisms in place to safeguard it from things like ideology-driven pseudoscience impersonating real science. Things like this and things like the Grievance studies affair and the fact that about 90% or so of these academics "just happen" to be left wing... all seem to indicate that something isn't working with these safeguards and in the future (after the current era of political insanity dies down) we're going to have to start thinking of additional and/or better and more efficient safeguards to put in place.

[@John8-32EnglishFortheFamily]

@@SecondVelcory u put it in a very precise way. Here in Brazil we're fighting very hard against Neo-Marxism which has infected all segments in society. This process of Marxist takeover of the academia, the media, the cultural and the political spaces dates back to the 1950's and has intensified ever since. To the point that Brazil still has no legit conservative party (yeah u hear that right) and 95% of the MSM is left-wing. Bolsonaro election was an organic movement initiated at the core of society. Many a million Brazilians who awoke to the filth and lies of socialism and could eventually express their conservatism by voting for a truly conservative candidate. The fight against the neo-Marxist scum has just begun though. Like Bolsonaro said the other day: "We can't afford to err or they [socialists] will come back".

[@user-ks1hp2pb5g]

You do realise they aren't critiqing the scientific method but the epistemology in which the enlightenmnet was predicated on. Even then, neither Adorno or Horkheimer can be described as Marxists. They pretty much are only concerned with the superstructure and ignore anything pertaining to revolution or the working class struggle.

[@SecondVelcory]

@@user-ks1hp2pb5g OK but I don't care whether or not they were critiquing the scientific method, my point is that they weren't using it... and if you come up with a theory that's not based on the scientific method, there is no reason for anyone to take it seriously. I also don't care whether they were True Marxists or not... whether they were concerned with the whole theory or just some parts of it, doesn't change the fact that they were building up new ideas based on a premise that was based on a theory that didn't stand the test of reality.

[@leskaye]

So so maybe the proletariat actually want to spend their money to see a show? You are saying that they are too thick to be trusted with that choice? Do you believe that pop artists are going to spend $2m on a stage set and go on tour giving away the tickets for free? The great works of art, paintings, sculpture, music, only exist because someone commissioned and paid for them. Capitalism is the reason why we have a vibrant culture in the West. The absence of capitalism is why the Soviet Union was impoverished, miserable and grey before it collapsed in economic ruin. Anyone watching this dangerous drivel and then thinking that they are "educated" is sadly mistaken.

[@DarkAngel2512]

Exactly. I choose to not pay 50 quid for a concert ticket yet my friends will. There will be something for those willing to pay and while I might want those things that I cant afford that's where competitive pricing comes in and offering more

[@assawkaomar7872]

Pourquoi ce en englais j ais veut en français svp

[@73Goodfellow]

😂 Learn English. 🤷‍♂️

[@nickpharoah]

You havent even got the names on the pictures of the thinkers right....... Amateur

[@marcpadilla1094]

What so critical about their theory. Because they say so? Take a schizophrenic voice and give it a personality and develop a field of study around it. Give credence to delusional thinking.

[@peterfoerderer8224]

mr roboto your content is worthy your delivery is not

[@TimmacTR]

These guys were frauds..

[@donaldrichardtrump-juniori4118]

Yes. They were very big FRAUDULENT. They were created neomarxism, neototalitarism, noecommunism. They were satanists. Nowadays We can see the Catastrophic results of those ideologies.

[@reasbey]

It only were they frauds, they were EVIL.

[@Nolant.]

None of you know what you are talking about

[@OtherSideAus]

Great video. Thanks. How over-rated these "thinkers" of the past are today. Success is a myth? Wow. Could have fooled me. You can see how, if this drivel was pumped into kids at a young age without any critique of itself (ironically) then it would sound clever and appealing. But it's garbage. These men were as thick as two planks and their theories failed the test of practicality. That we still teach it as a viable thesis for the nature of society, is astounding. Free market liberalism has done more for the poor than any socialist system has EVER done. THAT is the truth - supported by REALITY. But never mind that, I guess...

[@Sattelitespaass]

First of all I’m assuming you haven’t gone to university lately. We do study critical theory, and part of any study of theory is critiquing it’s flaws.

[@73Goodfellow]

@@Sattelitespaass I’m sure there’s some strong anti-communist sentiment at your school. 😂 This theory shouldn’t be critiqued. It should be laughed at and dismissed.

[@Melissy101]

Your voice sounds similar to Oprah Winfrey

[@edpiv2233]

What a dangerous bunch.

[@tobibenjamin6097]

Why?

[@justinkerrigan5863]

@@tobibenjamin6097 they’re the reason why western civilization is on decline... but of course none of these “intellectuals” are going to admit that

[@vicm5272]

@@justinkerrigan5863 how??

[@dylanb4494]

@@vicm5272 these academics proposed a theory in which objectivity doesnt exist. Take away all the other nonsense in the theory and thats all you need to know on why its wrong and dangerous to teach to people. Reality being subjective and open to interpretation and all thongs in reality being subjective is such a laughably wrong and dangerous idea.

[@WestbustahSaucedo]

frankfurt intellectuals were behind the several civil movements in the 50's, 60's, and 70's, which a lot think were organic, but were manufactured by people to change society's structure. The sexual revolution, feminism, yippe and the counter culture movements and others more

[@jackreacher.]

Maximization of D.E.I. is very entertaining initially.

[@joecaner]

Lies! Dam Lies, and the Evening News! Movie at eleven.

[@arttheboy]

damn

[@ge0rgeharris218]

There is no classless society! There never has been! What the Frankfurt School is missing is all of this happens over a long period of time where it is continuously becoming embedded in the Culture! It rolls itself over and over with differing overtones!

[@marissashantez6051]

Why should there be? What the Frankfurt School is missing is that capitalism has raised more people out of poverty then any other, and that its based on meritocracy, which is the most equalizing thing in the world. The whole point of antipositivism is to basicly criticize and tear down. So they did.

[@ge0rgeharris218]

@Marissa Shantez who are you kidding? What these Republican Facist criminals are doing is tearing down the so-called middle class because they are basically dominator. Every time they get these Republicans get tax cuts (Trump 2 trillion dollars) the so-called middle class has to pay for it because according to the Constitution what is take out must be paid back in! And these people don't invest in more jobs its invested in hedge funds and derivatives and other bid money investments! The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The Truth is that want an economy based on economic slavery!

[@kirkury]

See Strauss and Howe's Generational Theory.

[@liamonconlocha4898]

@@marissashantez6051 so being black, youu will be defined by your merits and not your colour? Waket wakey Dude!

[@liamonconlocha4898]

@@marissashantez6051 I would say capitalism created conditions for family sizes to multiply and created cities and work for the fat man to grow fatter, and that the world is not developing but getting raped for its raw materials. How can that be good? If it so based on merit how come only 1pc own 70 pc of everything? PLeasae these are Disneyland arguments that hold little water

[@Tele999zzz]

Gee poor us....getting all these nasty products and food to consume

[@universityquickcourse6623]

Thanks for watching the video. Our videos are not a value judgment on the particular philosophical thought. They are merely attempts to explain the philosophy in a simple presentation.

[@edithayala007]

@@universityquickcourse6623 and you did a great job! I used you as a source for my essay! :)

[@universityquickcourse6623]

@@edithayala007 Glad it helped. Thanks for watching.

[@YoxxSHIxx]

You dont know what you're untangled in

[@rawdawg6914]

think capitalism is bad? explain food

[@marcpadilla1094]

I claim the Popper.