1944-1947 - Completion of “Dialectic of Enlightenment”

Initially completed in 1944, the book was privately circulated among intellectuals before being published in 1947, Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno explore the paradox of Enlightenment reason, arguing that while it aimed to liberate humanity, it also enabled new forms of domination through capitalist exploitation and cultural manipulation. The authors analyze myths, mass media, and totalitarianism, critiquing the ways rationality becomes complicit in oppression. A foundational text of Critical Theory, the book challenges readers to reconsider the relationship between knowledge, power, and freedom.