The Scholar, the Intellectual, and the Essay: Weber, Lukács, Adorno, and Postwar Germany Peter Uwe Hohendahl the German Quarter
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The Scholar, the Intellectual, and the Essay: Weber, Lukács, Adorno, and Postwar Germany Peter Uwe Hohendahl The German Quarterly, Vol. 70, No. 3. (Summer, 1997), pp. 217-232. Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0016-8831%28199722%2970%3A3%3C217%3ATSTIAT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-H The German Quarterly is currently published by American Association of Teachers of German. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/about/terms.html. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/journals/aatg.html. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to and preserving a digital archive of scholarly journals. For more information regarding JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. http://www.jstor.org Mon May 28 03:37:07 2007 PETERUWEHOHENDAHL Cornell University The Scholar, the Intellectual, and the Essay: Weber, Lukacs, Adorno, and Postwar Germany Since the late 1980s the intellectual has Is there a difference between the approach been under attack-not only in this coun- and style of an intellectual and that of a try, but also in Europe, and especially in scientist or a member of the political elite? Germany. There is a sense of a general ma- Of course, this distinction already presup- laise on both sides of the Atlantic: The criti- poses a specific definition of the intellectual cal function once attributed to the intellec- as different from the scientist and the poli- tual seems to have evaporated. There is tician. This presupposition contains im- ground for a critical reassessment of the plicit cultural structures and values which role of the intellectual, but it should not are commonly taken for granted in local begin with a formal definition of the con- discussions and, therefore, frequently re- cept, since such a definition would remain main unnoticed. abstract and therefore obscure important Ever since the turn of the century, the cultural difference^.^ For this reason, I will German debate, for example, has been in- initially concentrate on the history of twen- formed by a fairly specific definition of the tieth-century Central Europe and only in intellectual, which has relied on a number conclusion broaden the scope of my ex- of oppositions that have been less signifi- ploration by turning to the present inter- cant in the American case.2 My choice of national debate about the function of the authors and texts reflects this bias toward public intellectual and the social position a literary and aesthetic understanding of of the intelligentsia. the concept, which shines through even in The following discussion will focus on a radically political determination of the three moments in Germany's intellectual intellectual as we find it in the case of Georg and social history, namely, the intervention Lukacs after 1918.Within the German dis- of the young Georg Lukacs in the philo- course, the intellectual is as much defined sophical and literary discussion of the turn by what he or she is not as by specific posi- of the century; the discussion about the role tive features. Intellectuals are, for in- of the intellectual in the work of Theodor stance, to be distinguished from members W Adorno after his return to Germany in of the academy, whereas in the American 1949; and, finally, an assessment of the in- case this distinction would be less impor- tellectual in the present German context, tant unless underscored by the modifier for instance, in the contribution of Peter "public intellectual."3 Biirger's most recent interventions and commentaries. What interests me in this discussion is not so much the philosophical ideas and systematic statements of these authors, but the question of style. What I want to begin my discussion of Lukacs interests me, in other words, is a formal with a detour to Max Weber's famous lec- problem: How does the intellectual write? ture on the role of science and the scientist. The German Quarterly 70.3 (Summer 1997) 217 218 THEGERMANQUARTERLY Summer 1997 A grasp of Weber's project will help us to "staatskapitalistische Unternehm~ngen,"~ distinguish more clearly between scientist in which the individual scholar and teacher and intellectuaL4 This (especially in the has a restricted and highly specialized func- German context) crucial distinction con- tion. In this context, the production of re- cerns the specific mode of the search for search and knowledge follows accepted truth as well as the question of social prac- methodological rules that do not allow tice. Given the rapidly increasing profes- much individualization. There is no room sionalization of the social sciences and the for the talented dilettante: humanities during the nineteenth century, the concept of science emphasizes strict Nur durch strenge Spezialisierung kann der wissenschaftliche Arbeiter tatsach- boundaries which are determined in terms lich das Vollgefuhl, einmal und vielleicht of methodological rigor. This search for nie wieder im Leben, sich zu eigen ma- strict demarcations also pertains to aca- chen: hier habe ich etwas geleistet, was demic literary criticism. Although Weber dauern wird. Eine wirkliche endgiiltige was primarily interested in the status of und tiichtige Leistung ist heute stets: eine the social sciences, his definition of science spezialistische ~eistun~.~ has important ramifications for other dis- ciplines as well, since it contains the gen- It is noteworthy that Weber uses the term eral idea of Wertfreiheit, i.e., the notion that "labor" [Arbeit] for scientific research and scientific studies do not engage in value calls the scholar explicitly a "worker" [Ar- judgment. Scientists are expected to keep beiter], unlike the dilettante, who is char- their distance from the objects of their re- acterized by the fact that he or she has search. ideas but is incapable of carrying out re- At the end of World War I these demar- search methodologically and systematically. cations became a particularly urgent ethi- For Weber, the definition of science as cal and epistemological problem for Weber. specialized work is part of a much larger Clearly in response to a revolutionary situ- historical pattern. As he puts it: "Der wis- ation in Germany, which had undermined senschaftliche Fortschritt ist ein Bruchteil, established institutions as well as accepted und zwar der wichtigste Bruchteil, jenes value^,^ Weber tried to define the respon- Intellektualisierungsprozesses, dem wir sibility of the scientist within a modern, seit Jahrtausenden unterliegen, und zu rationalized, and demystified world. In an dem heute iiblicherweise in so auljerorden- attempt to build up a wall against the poli- tlich negativer Art Stellung genommen ticization of the university, Weber designed ~ird."~This development results in a proc- a concept of science that would exclude ess of differentiation in which scientific metaphysical grounding. Not that the work is clearly distinguished from religion quest for such a ground was treated as and art. The latter two are concerned with meaningless; rather, Weber argued that in- values, but not, according to Weber, with stitutionalized Wissenschaft had to refrain scientific truth as aform of truth which can from ultimate questions of values and goals be defined in terms of methodological re- in order to carry out its mission. In other search. At the same time, Weber is aware words, the role of the scientist, both in the of and even underscores the fact that many humanities and the social sciences, had to contemporaries are deeply dissatisfied be clearly distinguished from that of the with the procedures and results of the sci- artist or the religious and political leader. ences, longing for a kind of truth that the The modern university, Weber argued in disciplines of science cannot provide be- 1919by pointing to the American model, is cause they remain abstract and fail to an- no longer simply a community of inde- swer the ultimate test. Since scientific pro- pendent scholars. Modern universities are gress has discarded traditional goals like HOHENDAHL:Scholar, Intellectual, Essay 219 access to God, the search for authentic be- Die Seele und die Formen and Theorie des ing, and the search for true happiness as Romans. As much as the later work of illusory, modern civilized man is left with Lukacs, especially Geschichte und Klassen- a void. It is the very process of differentia- bewubtsein, reflects the impact of Weber,12 tion and rationalization which calls into the metaphysical approach of the early question the belief in scientific truth as the Lukacs remains much closer to the roman- ultimate an~wer.~ tic tradition and idealist philosophy.13 Yet, By emphasizing the strength, but also it is not the question of tradition and influ- the limitations of science and the role of the ence that concerns me. Rather, what is at scientist, Weber simultaneously opened up stake is the question of appropriation and the question of the ultimate ground of the question of style. In the case of the early knowledge as well as the ultimate commit- Lukacs, both are more or less identical. ment of the individual seeking for truth Their common ground is the essay form. and happiness.10 It is in this context that The form of the essay, as Lukacs argues in Weber makes a few comments on the mod- Die Seele und die Formen, becomes the ern intellectual.