A “Second Coming”? The Return of German Political Theory

Posted: 8 Aug 2009

Date Written: August 6, 2009

Abstract

This article examines the political theories of Theodor Adorno and Hannah Arendt in light of shared theoretical concerns and the discussion generated by their recent centenaries (2003 and 2006, respectively). I argue that Adorno's tremendously influential critique of identity philosophies is of limited value when it comes to political thinking, in large part because he neglects to give serious thought to the problem of institutionalizing freedom. In contrast, the notion of human “plurality” is central to Arendt's political thought and is set within a rich conceptualization of the public realm and its legal and institutional preconditions.

Keywords: Hannah Arendt, Theodor Adorno, negative dialects, difference, plurality

Suggested Citation

Villa, Dana, A “Second Coming”? The Return of German Political Theory (August 6, 2009). Annual Review of Political Science, Vol. 12, June 2009, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1445111

Dana Villa

University of Notre Dame ( email )

361 Mendoza College of Business
Notre Dame, IN 46556-5646
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Abstract Views
377
PlumX Metrics