Adorno

'Introductions such as Brian O'Connor's Adorno are a genre in their own right with their proper demands. ... O'Connor's style is careful, mercifully jargon-free, and nicely suited to the genre. He is not seduced into emulating Adorno's scintillating style, and he handles Adorno's abstruse concepts with insight and dexterity.' - James Gordon Finlayson, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews 'OConnors book stands out as an exceptionally lucid and reliable introduction to a notoriously difficult thinker. I can think of no study of this kind that so elegantly and effectively explores Adornos thought and its relevance to our own time.' - Espen Hammer, Temple University, USA 'This long-awaited introduction is an ideal starting point for anyone interested in Adornos rich and challenging work. OConnor succeeds in combining accessibility with philosophical sophistication and interpretative nuance. He unlocks major difficulties with which Adornos writings presents us and demonstrates the enduring importance of non-identity thinking.' - Fabian Freyenhagen, University of Essex, UK "This is unquestionably the best introduction to Adorno available, and should be recommended to anyone hoping to familiarize themselves with this difficult and rewarding philosopher." -Owen Hulatt, Unversity of York, UK "This book is a most welcome addition to the Routledge Philosophers series. Brian OConnors slim volume is perhaps the most concise yet wide-ranging of all introductions to Theodor W. Adornos (19031969) thought currently in print today. OConnors text deserves a spot on the shelf of anyone who is interested in the Frankfurt School in general or Adorno in particular. Those who are interested in learning more about the philosopher by the name of Adorno would be wise to pick this book up." -Patrick Gamsby, Brandeis University, USA "...this new introduction is lucid and gripping...In particular, it is excellent in bringing out the significance of Adorno's criticisms of identity-thinking, which are too often dismissed as obscure." -Koshka Duff in Marx & Philosophy Review of Books 'Introductions such as Brian O'Connor's Adorno are a genre in their own right with their proper demands. ... O'Connor's style is careful, mercifully jargon-free, and nicely suited to the genre. He is not seduced into emulating Adorno's scintillating style, and he handles Adorno's abstruse concepts with insight and dexterity.' - James Gordon Finlayson, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews 'OConnors book stands out as an exceptionally lucid and reliable introduction to a notoriously difficult thinker. I can think of no study of this kind that so elegantly and effectively explores Adornos thought and its relevance to our own time.' - Espen Hammer, Temple University, USA 'This long-awaited introduction is an ideal starting point for anyone interested in Adornos rich and challenging work. OConnor succeeds in combining accessibility with philosophical sophistication and interpretative nuance. He unlocks major difficulties with which Adornos writings presents us and demonstrates the enduring importance of non-identity thinking.' - Fabian Freyenhagen, University of Essex, UK

Brian OConnor is Associate Professor of Philosophy at University College Dublin, Ireland. He is the author of Adornos Negative Dialectic (2004) and editor of The Adorno Reader (2000).

Chronology 1. Adornos Life and Philosophical Motivations 2. Society 3. Experience 4. Metaphysics 5. Freedom and Morality 6. Aesthetics 7. Philosophical Legacy. Glossary Bibliography. Index