Eclipse of Reason (Horkheimer)
Author | Max Horkheimer |
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Subject | Philosophy |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Publication date | 1947 |
Media type |
Part of a series on the |
Frankfurt School |
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Eclipse of Reason is a 1947 book by Max Horkheimer, a German philosopher and sociologist who was a key figure in the Frankfurt School of critical theory. In the book, Horkheimer argues that in modernity the concept of reason has been reduced to a mere instrument for achieving practical goals, rather than a means of understanding objective truth. He contends that this "eclipse of reason" has led to the rise of authoritarianism, as well as the dominance of a manipulative "culture industry" that serves the interests of those in power. Horkheimer asserts that to counter these trends, it is necessary to develop a more substantive and critical form of reason that is grounded in a commitment to human emancipation and the pursuit of a more just society.[1][2]
Summary
Horkheimer deals with the concept of
Horkheimer argues that modern philosophy has increasingly advocated subjective rationality to the point of rejecting any form of meaning or objective rationality and enabling technocracy. He associates the decline in objective rationality in philosophy with a mechanical worldview, disenchantment and the decline of a belief in a living or holistic nature. Although he denounces a wide range of contemporary philosophical schools of thought, Horkheimer asserts that these trends are epitomized in positivism, a term he defines broadly. [4]
Because subjective/instrumental reason rules, the ideals of a society, for example democratic ideals, become dependent on the "interests" of the people instead of being dependent on objective truths. Nevertheless, Horkheimer admits that objective reason has its roots in Reason ("Logos" in Greek) of the subject. He concludes,
If by enlightenment and intellectual progress we mean the freeing of man from superstitious belief in evil forces, in demons and fairies, in blind fate – in short, the emancipation from fear - then denunciation of what is currently called reason is the greatest service we can render.[5][6]
Influence
Horkheimer's argument in Eclipse of Reason that
Bibliography
- Eclipse of Reason. Oxford University Press. 1947. ISBN 978-0-8264-7793-4
References
- ^ "Max Horkheimer". Archived from the original on 2010-01-12. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
- ^ "Literary Encyclopedia | Eclipse of Reason". litencyc.com. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
- ^ a b "Home - Filer". filer.case.edu. Archived from the original on 2010-01-29. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
- ISBN 978-0-226-40336-6.
- ^ Eclipse of Reason, Seabury Press, 1974 (Originally 1941). P. 187
- ISBN 9780826400093.
- ^ Epstein, Barbara (1991). Political Protest and Cultural Revolution: Nonviolent Direct Action in the 1970s and 1980s. University of California Press. p. 177.