Books by Theodor Adorno

A reflection on everyday existence in the ‘sphere of consumption of late Capitalism’, this work is Adorno’s literary and philosophical masterpiece. Built from aphorisms and reflections, he shifts in register from personal experience to the most general theoretical problems.

The first British paperback edition of this modern classic penned by one of the towering intellectuals of the twentieth century. Negative Dialectics is a vital weapon in making sense of modern times.

What took place in Auschwitz revokes what Adorno termed the "Western legacy of positivity", the innermost substance of traditional philosophy. This text anatomizes the range of Adorno's concerns, including sections such as "Art, Memory of Suffering", and "Damaged Life".

Construction of the Aesthetic intends to recuperate the sphere of the aesthetic from the dialectic of existence: 'not to forget in dreams the present world, but to change it by the strength of an image.'

In this remarkable work written 50 years ago, Adorno showcases the dangers inherent in modern obsessions with consumption.

Adorno's frank and open challenge to directness, and the avoidance of language that 'gives itself over either to the market, to balderdash, or to the predominating vulgarity', is as timely today as it ever has been.

Theodor W Adorno (1903-1969), one of the principal figures associated with the Frankfurt School, wrote extensively on culture, modernity, aesthetics, literature, and - more than any other subject - music. This title presents the full range of Adorno's music writing.