Negative Dialectics

439 Pages·1983·4.72 MB·English

by  Theodor W. Adorno

NEGATIVE
DIALECTICS

NEGATIVE
DIALECTICS
byT heodoWr. A dorno
TranslabtyEe .dB .A shton
2007
TheC ontinuIunmt ernatiPounballi shGionugpI ,n c.
80M aideLna neN,e wY orkN,Y 10038
Origiendiatli oNne:g atDiiavlee ktik
@ 1966b yS uhrkamp Verlaga,m M Fariann kfurt
Englitsrha nslcaotpiyorn®i g1h9t7b3y T heC ontinuum PuCbolmipsahniyn g
Alrli ghrtesse rvNeod p.a rotft hibosok mayb er eproducsed,t orienad r etrieval
systemo,rt ransmiitnat neyfd o,r omr b ya nym eanesl,e ctrmoencihca,n ical,
photocopyriecnogr,d ionrog t herwise,t hwweir tihtopeturetmn i ssioofn
The ContinuPuumb lisChoimnpga ny.
Printeidnt hUen itSetda toefAs m erica
LibraorfCy o ngesrsC ataloigniP nugb licaDtaitoan
AdornoT,h eodorW .1,9 03-1969
Negatidviea lectics.
TranslaotfNi:eo gna tDiivael ektik.
RepriOnrti.g inpaulbllyi sNheedw:Y orkS:e abury
Press1,9 73.
Inclubdiebsl iograrpehfiecraeln ces.
I.P hilosophy-Addresses, e2ss.Da iyas­, lectures.
lectic-Aesddserse,s salyesc,t urIes.T. i tle.
B3199.A33N1491833 193 83-20908
ISBN0 -8264-0132-5
CONTENTS
ix
TRANSLATOR'SN OTE
xix
PREFACE
3
INTRODUCTION
TheP ossiobfiP lhiitlyo s3o pDhiya leNcottai cSst andp4 oint
RealaintdDy i ale6c tiTchseC onceorfPn h ilos8o pThhye
AntoangisEtnitci 1r0e tyD isenchaonftt hmCeeo nntc 1e1p t
"Infin1i3t yT"h eS pceulatMiovmee 1n5t Presen1t8a tion
AttiTtouwdaeSr yds t2e0m s IdealaisRs amge2 2 The Two­
folCdh araocftt ehSrey st2e4m The AntiCnhoaamrcitcoeafrl
Syste2m6s Argunmtae nEdx peri28e nce
Vertisgnien3so1su FragiolfiT tryu t33h AgainRsetl ativ-
is3m5 DialeacntSdio clsi3 d7i ty
TheP riviolfEe xgpee ri4e0 ncQeu alitMaotmievnoetfR ation-
ali4t3y QualaintdyI ndilv4 i4d uSaubstanatnida lity
Meth4o7d Existen4t9i aTlhiisnmLg a,n guaHgies,t 5o2r y
TradiatniKdon no wle5d3g eR heto55r ic
PART ONE: RELATIONT O ONTOLOGY
I.T HE ONTOLOGICAL NEED 61
QuestainodAn n sw6e1r Affirmative 6C5h aIrnaccatpearc i­
tatoifot nh Seu bj6e6c tB einSgu,b jOebcjte,6c9 t Ontologi-
caOlbj ecti7v0 ism
ThDei sappNoeien7dt2 e d" Defici= ePnrcoyfi7 t6" NoM an's
Lan7d7
UnsucceRsesaflui7l8s m On CategoVriiscial8o 0n Being
(Jlcm8 3
"SenosfBe e in8g5" OntolPorgeys c8r7i bPedre ostAtg ainst
Reific8a9t ioTnhWe r onNge e9d2 WeaknaensSdsu pp9o4rt
v
CONTENTS
IIB.E INGA ND EXISTENCE
ImmaneCnrti tioqfOu en tol9o7g yC opuIlOaO No Tran-
scendoefBn ecieIn0 g5 ExpretshsIein negx prIe0 s8s ible
TheC hild's 1Q1u0 eTshteiQ oune stoifBo eni 1n1g2 Loop-
intgh Leo o1p1 5 MythoolfoB geyi1 n1g7
Ontologoifzt ahtei oOnnI tI9i cFauln ctoifto hnCe o nceopft
ExistIe2n2c e" DaseiinIn t sOenltfo logI2i4c aTlh"e
NominalAisspte1ic2ct6 ExistAeuntcheo riIt2a7 r"iHains -
toric1a2l8i ty"
PART TWO: NEGATIVED IALECTICSC.O NCEPT
AND CATEGORIES
ThIen diss"oSloumbelteIh 3i4n gC"o mpulSsuosrtya ntIi3v6e ness
"PeephMoeltea phy1s37i cNso"n contradNiocttt oorb ien ess
HyposttiazIe3d9 RelattioLo enf t-Hweiegnlgi an1i43s m
"LogoifDc i sinteIg4r4a tOinot nh"De i aleocftI idcesnI t4i6t y
CogitaSteilflvfee-c rte1i4o8n ObjectoifvC iotnyt radIi5cI tion
StarOtuiftnr go tmh Ceo ncIe5 p3t SynthI5e 6s iCsr itoifq ue
PosiNteigvaetI 5i 8o n
IndividNuoattl hietU yl timEaittehI e61r ConsteIl6l2a tion
ConsteilnSl caiteiIno6cn4e
EssenacnedA ppearIa6n6c eI ndirsesbc ytO nbeject17i0v ity
Particaunltdah rPeia tryt i1c7u3l aSru bjectD-iOabljee1cc7t4ti cs
Reverosfta hlSe u bjective1 7R6 eIdnutcetrpirotenht Teir nagn -
scendIe7n8t a"lT rcaennsdeDnetlaulsI i8o0n "
TheO bjePcrte'pso ndIe8r3a nTcheeO bjeNcotta D atuIm8 6
Objecatnidv iRteyi Ifi8c9a tion
Pasgseat oM ateriIa9l2i sMma teriaanldiI smmm ediIa94c y
DilaectNioctas S ocoigoyol fK nwoledIg9e7 TheC onceopft
MinId9 8 PurAec tivaintdGy e ne2s0i0s SufferPihnygs i-
ca2l0 2 MateriIamlaigse2ml0 e4s s
PART THREE:M ODELS
I.F REEDOM
OnT heM etacriotfPi rqaucet ical Reaso2n11
"Pseudopr2oJbl lAe mSsp"li intt h Ceo ncweirnt Fhr eed2oIm4
FreedDoemt,e rmiIndiesnm2t,Ii 6t yF reedaonmdO rganized
Soci2e1t7y TheI mpuBlesef otrheEe g o2 2I Experimenta
cru2c2i3s ThAed dend2u26m
vi
CONTENTS
TheF ictoifPo ons itive2 3F1r eUendforme eodfTo hmo ug2h33t
"Forma2l3i5s mT"h Wei lalsa Th2i3n7g
Objectiintv hiAetn yt in2o3m9y DialecDteificnailot fit ohne
Wil2l4 1 Contemp2l4a4t ion
Strucotftu hrTeeh iArndt in2o4m6y KantC'osn coefpC ta usal-
it2y4 7 TheP lefao rO rd2e4r9 TheA ntithAertgiuc-al
men2t5 2 OntiacnaIdld eMaolm en2t5s5 RepreCshsairvaec -
teorft hDeo ctroifFn ree ed2o6m0 Selpfe-reixeonfFc ree edom
andU nfree2d6o1m T heC risoifCs a usa2l6i5t yC ausality
asaS pe2l6l9
ReasoEng,o S,u per2-7e0g oP otenotfiF arle ed2o7m4
Against Pe27r6s oDneapleirssmo naanlEdix ziasttieonnt ial Ontol-
ogy27 9 UnivearnsdIa nld iviindt uhaPelh ilosoofMp ohry-
al2s8 1 Ont hSet aotfFe r eed2o8m5
Kant's "Intell2i8g7i bIlnet elClhiaagnridatb chiUtelne iirtt"y)'
of Consc2i9o2u sTnreuCstoshn toeftn htDe o ctorfi nIen telligibil­
it2y9 7
IIW.O RLD SPIRIATN D NATURAL HISTORY.
An ExcursitooHn e gel 300
Trenadn dF ac3t0s0 Construocftt hiWeoo nr ld 3S0p3i rit
"Harmonwiiztithnh gWe o rlSdp ir3i0t5 "T heU nleashing of
ProduFcotricv3ee0s 6 GrouSpp iarniDdto min3i0o7n. The
LegaSlp he3r0e9 Law aEnqdu i3t1y0 Individualistic
Vei3l1 2 DynamoifUc nsi vearnsPdaa lr ti3c1u3l ar
Spiraisat SociTaolt a3l1i4t yH istoRreiacsaAolnn t agonis-
ti3c1 7
UniveHrissat3lo1 r9y Antagonism 3C2o1n tingent?
TheS upramunCdhaanrcaeoc ftt ehrHe e gelWioarnlS dp i3r2i3t
Hegel wSiitdthihU neng i ve3r2s6a lR elaipnstPeol ato3n2i9s m
DetemporaolfiT ziamt3ei3 o1 nD ialecCtuitSc hso rbty
Heg3e3l4
TheR oloeft hPeo puSlpair3r 3i8t PopaurSl piOrbisto l3e40t e
IndividaunadlH iitsyt3 o4r2y TheS pe3l4l4 Regression
UndtehrSe p e3l4l7
SubjaencIdtn div3i4d9u aDli aleacntPdis cysc ho3l5o1g y
"NatHuirsatlo 3r54y "H istaonrMdye taph3y5s8i cs
vii
CONTENTS
IIIM.E DITATIONSO N METAPHYSICS 361
AfteAru sch3w6i1t zM etaphyasnidCc usl t3u6r5e Dying
Toda3y68 HappinesIsd lWeaa intd3i 7n3g "Nihi3l7i6s m"
KantR'ess ign3a8t1i Roens cuUirngagen dB loc3k8 4 Mun-
dus inte39l0l iNgeiubtirlails3i9 z3a t"iOonnalP ya arbl3e9"9
TheS embloafnO cteh er4n0e2s sS elffl-eRcetoifDo ina le4c0t5i cs
NOTES 409
viii
TRANSLATOR'NSO TE
Thibso ok-tboe giwni tha na dmission-mmea vdieo lwahtaet
I consitdheerN umbeOrn er ulfeo rt ransloatfpo hrisl osophy:
nevetro s tatrrta nslautnitniyglo uth inky ouk noww hatth e
authmoera nbsy e versye ntenicned,e beyde verwyo rdI.t w as
donuen wittiIn hgaldry e.a thde booki nG erman,n ott oot hor­
oughbluytn eveurn suorfei ttsh esIec sl.e arrelcya ltlheethdr ust
ofw hati tc onveiynsa polisphreods teh ahta ds eemeedm i­
nenttlrya nslaAtnadbs loei .tt urnoeudtt ob e,no to nlbye cause
mosot fTh eodoArd orno'psh ilosopvhoiccaablu liasor fyL atin
orG reeskt ocakn di dentiincE anlg liasnhdG ermaHni.s s yntax
rarenleye ddsi sentanlgilktiehn aogtf m osGte rmapnh ilosophers
sincKea nth;e i sn ota sa ddicttoem da kinugp w ordass t hey
area;n dth e fewn eologihsemd so esu sea reb orrowferdo m
English.
Int hee arlys tagoefst ranslaIt wioonnd erneodw a ndth en
whaot nes entemnicgeh hta vteo d ow itthh ep recedoinneag n d
thawti tthh eo neb eforBeu.to therre adetroslo df t hes amee x­
perienacnedA, d orno'osw nP refapcreo mistehdaw th ats eemed
baffiinagtfir stw oulbde c larilfiaetdeB re.s idIe fse,l tth,e rwea s
nom istranshliastt eixnHtgi. s s entenwceersce l eaTrh.e w ords
(hiosw nt,h aits h;i dsi scussoifoo thnesrm en'wso rdasr ea dif­
feremnatt tewre)r uen equivTohceailEr.n gliesqhu ivalewnetrse
beyonddo ubIt p.l oddoend,o blivioofmu ys N umbeOrn er ule.
Butt hee nigmpaisl eudp .I founmdy seltfr anslaetnitnigr e
pagewsi thosuete ihnogw th eyl efdr otmh es taorfta na rgument
tot hec onclusIi woans.a boutto r etutrnh eb ooka su ntrans­
late-a-bflorm e,a tl east-whmeyn f avorite trsatnosrlya tors'
crossmeyd m indA. c olleacgoumem,i ssitoont erda nsal acteer ­
taibno okw,a sa skewdh ethehre h adh ada chantcoer eaidty et.
"Id on otr eadI; tr anslawtaes,h "i sr eply.
I putm y nascetnrta nslaatsiiodanen dd idw hatI oughtt o
ix