Actualidad filosófica de Theodor W. Adorno a través de su relectura crítica

Abstract

There is a considerable number of Theodor Adorno’s contributions to philosophy that could light today’s society. In this article I emphasize on José Antonio Zamora’s perspective of Adorno and Horkheimer’s proposal, with regard to their structural analysis on domination within the book: Dialectic of enlightenment. Zamora claims that Horkheimer and Adorno have found that the theory of knowledge is also a critique of society because, when the subject dominates nature by means of technique, the domination of the world will be at the same time, domination of knowledge and subjectivity. If the critique of the enlightenment and moral formation of the subject is linked to the technical mastery over nature, it is necessary to unravel how this domain ends up rolling back over itself, i.e. in forgetfulness of the self which can lead to violence. Facing the omission of the subject’s history pretended by illustration, a debate on the relationship between memory and history has started, which opens a perspective that José Antonio Zamora highlights as the perspective of victims. The debate with history allows to observe the effects generated by the technical mastery of the industrial age on victims, not only during military confrontations, but through managed violence. This debate also opens a perspective in ethics and justice that enables the understanding on how the mass production of victims, beyond military confrontation, can become a quality of society.

Keywords

• Criticism
• enlightment
• memory
• victims
• ethics