Problems in Political Theory: The Social and Political Thought of the Frankfurt School

Note: Because this version of the syllabus is posted on a publicly accessible website, it does not include links to Zoom and Slack. Please download the complete version of the syllabus from myCourses.

POLI 617 Professor Yves Winter Fall 2020 email: [email protected] twitter: @whywinter Zoom meetings: Wed 3:00-4:30 Link: Slack workspace: (link removed) (link removed) To sign up to Slack, click here (link removed). Note that this link will expire a few days after the add/drop deadline; so make sure you’re signed up by then.

Office hours: Fri 1:00-2:00 pm (link removed) & by appt Note: no office hours on October 2

Description This is a graduate seminar on the social and political thought of the Frankfurt School. The Frankfurt School of Critical Theory is one of the most interesting and influential traditions in twentieth-century philosophy and social theory. Centred around the Institute for Social Research that was founded in Frankfurt in 1923, the Frankfurt School consists of a a group of philosophers, sociologists, and cultural theorists, loosely oriented around a Neo- Marxist orientation, and influenced by the philosophical heritage of German idealism, especially Kant and Hegel, Marx, but also Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Freud. The School developed a signature conception of critical theory: a form of social critique based on a combination of philosophy and social science with a dose of psychoanalysis and a critique of modern rationality. In this seminar, we will read a selection of texts by the prin- cipal members of the Frankfurt School on issues within social and political theory. Topics will include the nature of critique, Enlightenment, authoritarianism, violence, domination, emancipation, reason and rationalization, communicative action, and recognition.

Texts All texts are made available electronically, either as downloads on myCourses or hyperlinked from this syllabus. Students are encouraged to read texts in the original language. Students interested in purchasing some of the books could consider the following: Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno, Dialectic of Enlightenment. (The Jephcott translation from Stanford is superior to the older Cumming translation published by Continuum) Stephen Bronner and Douglas MacKay Kellner (eds.) Critical Theory and Society: A Reader Theodor W. Adorno, Can One Live After Auschwitz? A Philosophical Reader. Edited by Rolf Tiedemann. Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man

YW 2020-08-28 - 1 - Herbert Marcuse, An Essay on Liberation Jürgen Habermas, The Theory of Communicative Action. Volumes 1 + 2.

Recommended Introductory Reading Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination: A History of the Frankfurt School and the Institute of Social Research, 1923-1950 Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History, Theory and Political Significance Raymond Geuss, The Idea of a Critical Theory: Habermas and the Frankfurt School Alex Demirovic, Der nonkonformistische Intellektuelle: Die Entwicklung der Kritischen Theorie zur Frankfurter Schule David Held, Introduction to Critical Theory: Horkheimer to Habermas Seyla Benhabib, Critique, Norm, and Utopia: A Study of the Foundations of Critical Theory Stuart Jeffries, Grand Hotel Abyss: The Lives of the Frankfurt School

Remote Instruction Due to the ongoing pandemic, this course will be taught remotely. The main work for this course will be your careful reading of the assigned texts. As this is a graduate seminar, there is no lecture component, and I will not be distributing any recorded material. In graduate seminar, students are expected to produce the content in dicussion, and the instructor’s role is that of a facilitator. Because dicussion is essential, we will have weekly on- line meetings on Zoom at a fixed time. Attendance is strongly recommended. To protect student privacy, these sessions will not be recorded. To make these sessions more personable, I would encourage everyone to enable the video function. This is not a requirement, and you will not be penalized for having your video turned off. This is a remotely taught graduate seminar in which active student contributions are required. Because this course is delivered remotely, the discussion forum is our primary mechanism of exchange. We will be using Slack workspace instead of the myCourses discussion forum. Students will need to sign up for Slack and famili- arize themselves with the interface. If you’re new to Slack, you might consider watching this 2-minute introduc- tory video. For signing up, please use this invitation link (link removed.) Students will also need to set their notifications, to ensure they are notified about direct messages, etc. Everyone is expected to post to Slack at least 2-3 times a week, preferably both before and after every class meeting. Because our Zoom meetings are shorter than typical seminar meetings, Slack replaces part of the dis- cussion and becomes an online repository of our conversations. Contributions can include questions, difficult passages, commentaries, responses to other contributions, etc. Students should ensure that at least some of their contributions are substantial, both in terms of quality and quantity.

Assignments and Grades Instead of a seminar paper, the main written assignment for this course will be a portfolio. The portfolio con- sists of three parts. 1. Reflections: Students will write weekly reflection posts on the reading. Reflection posts will be 500-1000 words in length and posted on Slack (in the #general-discussion channel). You can think of them as equivalen to blog posts. They are not summaries or reading reports but argumentative or interpretive-analytical pieces of

YW 2020-08-28 - 2 - writing about the assigned readings, typically covering only a part of the assigned text. Typically organized around one or more textual passages, reflection posts may raise questions about the reading, identify interpre- tive problems, problematize explicit and implicit assumptions, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of an ar- gument and/or possible counter-arguments. In addition, they should connect texts to previous weeks' readings. For their reflection posts, students may draw on their own contributions to the discussion board (and on others’, as long as authorship is properly acknowledged). Reflection posts are due for every week of the seminar, except for the first introductory meeting and the final meeting. In total, every student will have written 11 reflection posts. They must be posted on Slack on the Mon- day prior to the seminar (no later than 23:59 EST). Note: half the points are awarded for on-time completion, half for content. Late posts will not receive credit for on-line completion. At the end of the semester, students will collate all of their reflection posts (unedited) into the portfolio. 2. Optional annotations/developments: Students may (but are not required to) add annotations and com- ments to their reflection posts, developing ideas and questions further, either within a single reading or across multiple texts/authors. 3. Substantial introduction: In addition to the reflection posts, the portfolio will include a substantial introduc- tion (1000 words) where students draw out connections between the assigned material, connections between the various components of their portfolio, and connections between the course material and their own interests. Final grades are calculated according to the following schedule: Slack contributions 20% Portfolio 80% (10 reflection posts, 6.5% each; introduction 15%)

Other Policies As the instructor of this course I endeavor to provide an inclusive learning environment. This involves maintain- ing teaching spaces that are respectful and inclusive for all involved. To this end, offensive, violent, or harmful language on discussion boards, in chat rooms, but also in user names or visual backgrounds may be cause for disciplinary action. To maintain a clear and uninterrupted learning space for all, you should keep your microphone muted during Zoom meetings, unless invited by the instructor to speak. You should follow the instructor’s directions about the use of the “chat” function on remote learning platforms. If you experience barriers to learning in this course, do not hesitate to discuss them with me and the Office for Students with Disabilities/MyAccess (514)398-6009. Accommodations are possible for students who experience barriers (including disabilities and medical condi- tions as well as other obstacles, such as being in a different time zone, not having adequate internet access or bandwidth, or being in a domestic situation that makes live participation difficult or impossible). Students who need accommodations should contact me at the beginning of the semester or as soon as possible after the barrier arises. Please let me and your fellow students know your preferred pronoun. Your preferred name should appear on the class list if you have entered it in Minerva. McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore, all students must understand the meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures (see www.mcgill.ca/students/srr/honest/ for more information). Please note that I take

YW 2020-08-28 - 3 - plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty seriously and your work will be reviewed for potential plagiarism issues. Conformément à la Charte des droits de l’étudiant de l’Université McGill, chaque étudiant-e a le droit de soumettre en français ou en anglais tout travail écrit devant être noté. In the event of extraordinary circumstances beyond the instructor’s or the university’s control, the content and/ or evaluation scheme in this course is subject to change. All slides, video recordings, lecture notes, and handouts are the instructor’s intellectual property. You may use these only for your own learning. You are not permitted to share these materials or place them into the public domain; doing so may violate the instructor’s intellectual property rights and could be cause for disciplinary action.

Class Schedule Sep 2 Introduction Sep 9 Critique Max Horkheimer, “The State of Contemporary Social Philosophy and the Task of an Institute for Social Research,” in Stephen Bronner and Douglas MacKay Kellner (eds.) Critical Theory and Society: A Reader, pp. 25-36 Max Horkheimer, "Traditional and Critical Theory," in Critical Theory: Selected Essays, pp. 188-252 Max Horkheimer, "The Social Function of Philosophy," in Critical Theory: Selected Essays, pp. 253-272 Herbert Marcuse, "Philosophy and Critical Theory," in Stephen Bronner and Douglas MacKay Kellner (eds.) Critical Theory and Society: A Reader, pp. 58-74 Theodor W. Adorno, "Critique," in Critical Models: Interventions and Catchwords, pp. 281-288

Recommended: Axel Honneth, "Reconstructive Social Criticism with a Genealogical Proviso: On the Idea of "Critique" in the Frankfurt School," in Pathologies of Reason: On the Legacy of Critical Theory, pp. 43-53 Rahel Jaeggi, “Rethinking Ideology.” In New Waves in Political Philosophy. Edited by Boudewijn Paul de Bruin and Christopher F. Zurn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. Nancy Fraser, “What’s Critical about Critical Theory? The Case of Habermas and Gender,” New German Critique 35 (1985): 97–111. Axel Honneth, "Horkheimer's Original Idea: The Sociological Deficit of Critical Theory," in The Critique of Power: Reflective Stages in a Critical Social Theory, pp. 5-31

Sep 16 Enlightenment Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno, Dialectic of Enlightenment, Prefaces, pp. 1-172

YW 2020-08-28 - 4 - Recommended: Gunzelin Schmid Noerr, "Editor's Afterword," in Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno, Di- alectic of Enlightenment, pp. 217-247 Jürgen Habermas, “The Entwinement of Myth and Enlightenment: Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno,” New German Critique 26 (1982): 13-30 Axel Honneth, “The Possibility of a Disclosing Critique of Society: The Dialectic of Enlighten- ment in Light of Current Debates on Social Criticism,” Constellations 7, no 1 (2000): 116-27. Amy Allen, “Reason, Power and History: Re-Reading the Dialectic of Enlightenment,” Thesis Eleven 120 (2014): 10–25.

Sep 23 Authoritarianism Max Horkheimer, “The Authoritarian State.” Telos 15 (1973): 3–20 Theodor W. Adorno et.al., The Authoritarian Personality, Editor's Introduction; Preface by Max Horkheimer; Remarks on The Authoritarian Personality by Theodor W. Adorno; Chapter 1: In- troduction, A. The Problem, B. Methodology; Chapter VII: The Measurement of Implicit Antide- mocratic Trends; Chapter XXIII: Conclusions, pp. xxiii-lxvi; lxxi-lxxiv; 1-19; 222-229; 971-976

Recommended: South Atlantic Quarterly 117, no. 4 (2018), special issue on The Authoritarian Personality, ed. Robyn Marasco (introduction by Marasco, articles by Marasco, Hullot-Kentor, Stein, and Poe. Wendy Brown, Peter E. Gordon, and Max Pensky, Authoritarianism: Three Inquiries in Critical Theory

Sep 30 Violence Walter Benjamin, “Critique of Violence,” in Illuminations: Essays and Reflections, pp. xx

Recommended: Robin Marasco, "Frantz Fanon: Critique With Knives," in The Highway of Despair: Critical The- ory After Hegel, pp. 140-168 Axel Honneth, "Saving the Sacred with a Philosophy of History: On Benjamin's "Critique of Vio- lence" in Pathologies of Reason, pp. 88-125 Daniel Loick, "Critical theory of the police: Walter Benjamin" in A Critique of Sovereignty, pp. 113-123

Oct 7 Domination & Emancipation I Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man

YW 2020-08-28 - 5 - Recommended: Christoph Menke, "Law and Domination," in Penelope Deutscher and Cristina Lafont (eds.) Critical Theory in Critical Times: Transforming the Global Political and Economic Order, pp. 117-138

Oct 14 Domination & Emancipation II Herbert Marcuse, An Essay on Liberation

Oct 21 Capitalism Theodor W. Adorno, "Late Capitalism or Industrial Society? The Fundamental Question of the Present Structure of Society," in Rolf Tiedemann (ed.) Can One Live After Auschwitz? pp. 111-126 Theodor W. Adorno “Reflections on Class Theory," in Rolf Tiedemann (ed.) Can One Live After Auschwitz? pp. 93-110 Rahel Jaeggi, “What (if Anything) is Wrong With Capitalism? Dysfunctionality, Exploitation and Alienation: Three Approaches to the Critique of Capitalism.” The Southern Journal of Philoso- phy 54, no. S1 (2016): 44–65.

Recommended: Nancy Fraser and Rahel Jaeggi, Capitalism: A Conversation in Critical Theory

Oct 28 History & Progress Walter Benjamin, "Theses on the Philosophy of History," in Illuminations: Essays and Reflec- tions, pp. 253–264. Theodor W. Adorno, “Progress” in Rolf Tiedemann (ed.), Can One Live After Auschwitz? pp. 126-145 Jürgen Habermas, "Conceptions of Modernity: A Look Back at Two Traditions," in The Postna- tional Constellation: Political Essays, pp. 130-156

Recommended: Theodor W. Adorno, History and Freedom: Lectures 1964-1965 Amy Allen, The End of Progress: Decolonizing the Normative Foundations of Critical Theory Antonio Y. Vázquez-Arroyo, “Universal History Disavowed: On Critical Theory and Postcolonial- ism.” Postcolonial Studies 11, no. 4 (2008): 451–73 Jürgen Habermas, “The Normative Content of Modernity,” in The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity, pp. 336-67

YW 2020-08-28 - 6 - Nov 4 Rationalization, Communicative and Strategic Action Jürgen Habermas, The Theory of Communicative Action, vol 1, ch. 1, ch.3, pp. 1-142, 273-339

Recommended: Peter U. Hohendahl, "The Dialectic of Enlightenment Revisited: Habermas' Critique of the Frankfurt School." New German Critique, no. 35 (1985): 3-26.

Nov 11 System, Lifeworld, and the Colonization Thesis Jürgen Habermas, The Theory of Communicative Action, vol 2, ch. 5, section 3; ch. 6; ch. 8, sections 2-3, pp. 77-198, 332-405

Recommended: Deborah Cook, Adorno, Habermas and the Search for a Rational Society Amy Allen, “Systematically Distorted Subjectivity: Habermas and the Critique of Power,” Philos- ophy & Social Criticism 33(5) (2007): 641-50

Nov 18 Recognition Axel Honneth,“The Social Dynamics of Disrespect: On the Location of Critical Theory Today,” in Disrespect: The Normative Foundations of Critical Theory, 63-79. Nancy Fraser, "Recognition without Ethics?" Theory, Culture & Society 18(2-3) (2001): 21-42 Amy Allen, “Recognizing Domination: Recognition and Power in Honneth’s Critical The- ory,” Journal of Power 3(1) (2010): 21-32.

Recommended: Axel Honneth, The Struggle for Recognition: The Moral Grammar of Social Conflicts

Nov 25 Conclusion & Review Jürgen Habermas, “The Task of a Critical Theory of Society,” in Stephen Bronner and Douglas MacKay Kellner (eds.) Critical Theory and Society: A Reader, pp. 292-312 Axel Honneth, “A Social Pathology of Reason: On the Intellectual Legacy of Critical Theory,” in Pathologies of Reason, pp. 336-60 Martin Saar, “Power and Critique,” Journal of Power, 3:1 (2010): 7-20

Dec 2 Reflection Portfolio DUE

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