Endorsements

The importance of the Frankfurt School in shaping the philosophical foundations of the social sciences-particularly its critique of positivism and its engagement with authority, emancipation and recognition-is well established. More recently, scholars have begun to recognise its key role in forming the image contemporary philosophers have of the European past, and how this image informs their analysis of the contemporary world. This book shows that Max Horkheimer's programme of critical theory, and his lifelong work as a university professor and thinker, are grounded in the force of philosophical questioning and a deep understanding of the historical development of philosophical problems. These problems are closely related to the socio-economic framework that shaped the 'bourgeois society' and the Modern Era. His readings of modern philosophers reveal how the bourgeoisie sought to legitimise and consolidate its position, partly through the voices of its thinkers. Through his investigation of early modern philosophy and ongoing dialogue with colleagues such as Adorno, Marcuse, Pollock and Fromm, Horkheimer demonstrates a profound awareness of the critical force inherent in thought. Though this force is always vulnerable to crisis and decline, it can be reactivated. The book delineates how Horkheimer's work continues to offer valuable insights into the philosophical and social challenges of the contemporary world.