HISTORIA: International Journal of History Education, Vol. XIII, No. 1 (June 2012) THE HISTORY OF THE FRANKFURT SCHOOL FROM CRITICISM TO EMANCIPATION MOVEMENT Damanhuri Fatah1 ABSTRACT This paper describes the modern society’s major basic idea which has been uphold by Frankfurt School, that is, the crisis of enlightenment, of art and culture, and of history. The school is trying to reunite concretely branches of knowledge in social sciences which have been broken down into pieces without sacrificing their good points. The school also intellectually and socially redefines Marxism in its period. The Frankfurt School of the first period was claimed to have been deadlock in taking part in solving the problem of modern world. The works of Karl Marx, Horkheimer, Adorno, as well as Herbert Marcuse are the severe criticisms on scientism and positivism. According to them, both have interfered modern society as uncovered in the instrumental and technological rationality. The critical tradition previously developed by Marx tried to uproot the hidden system in a certain ideology that had made the society’s creative thinking less interisting. It means that the system which developed at that time was in fact the place where ideological interests of certain parties hid. Marx intended to uproot these interests which was the continued by the Frankfurt School community which was known for their ideological criticism. Key Words: epistemology, Frankfurt School, Habermas, Emancipation 1Damanhuri Fatah, lecturer of IAIN Radean Intan Lampung. For academic interest, the author can be contacted at office address: Jl. Letkol H. Endro Suratmin Sukarame, Bandar Lampung. 95 DAMANHURI FATAH, The History of the Frankfrut School From Critism to Emancipation Movement Introduction 3. Third, influenced by a new interpretation of Marxism by Georg There are three common names of Lukács and Karl Korsch in accordance Frankfrut School, without any particular with the problems of that time. The difference: Institut for Sozialforshsung, reflection concept of Lukacs becomes Critical Theory, and Frankfrut School central. (Kolakowsky, 1978 : 341 – 343). The 4. Fourth, emphasizing on autonomous founder of the institute was a political theories and object to directly involved expert named Felix J. Weil. He was the son (in practical political movement). The of a tycoon, Herman Weil, who had spent all criticism over the society is limited of his assets for funding social reseraches, only on academic movement, trying particularly to revive the Mrax doctrin to to transform the social reality through be restructured in accordance with the era science. (Wiggershaus, 1994: 9, 12-13, 16-17). 5. Fifth, this School accepts some of At first it was the Institute for Marx’s theory such as the exploitation Sozialforschung (Institute for Social and alienation of labor; however, some Research) which was founded in the early views are objected, for example, class 1923 in Frankfurt, as one of the majors in consciousness and revolution. The Frankfurt University. The Institute’s first refication concept applied to all levels director was Carl Grunberg. They had in the Marx’s class division (bourgeois encountered a cultural crisis since 1890 with and proletarian classes). the rapid growth of capitalism in Germany. The German Institute brought this issue to 6. Sixth, this school is the Revisionist the exile and later returned to Germany movement of orthodox Marxism, after the war with the new designation of and a revolutionary intellectuals “Frankfurt School”. In such conditions, the (Kolakowsky, 1978: 341-343) Institute was still established, therefore, it The early figures are Preidrich Pollock is needed to be noted down and study all (1894-1970, an economist), Carl Grunber the six characteritic of the school: (1861-1940, the first director of the 1. First, using Marxism not as the basic Institute), Max Horkheimer (1895-1973, norm (ideology), but only as a starting philosopher, sociologist, psychologist, point and support for analysis and the scond director of the Institute), Karl cultural criticism. Hence the critical Wittfogel ( born in 1869, historian, who analysis models of non-Marxis (Hegel, view the Marxism influence in Asia), Kant, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Spengler, Wiesengrund Theodor Adorno (1903- Freud, and Judaism) has become the 1970, philosopher, sociologist, the third choice. director of the Institute), Leo Lowenthal (born in 1900, a sociologist), Walter 2. Second, the programs structured Benjamin (1892-1940, literary critic), are the programs expressing critical Frank Neumann, (law expert), Hendryk characteristics, and is non party (not Grossman (1881-1950, economists and part of a political movement). political), Arkadij Gurland (economy and 96 HISTORIA: International Journal of History Education, Vol. XIII, No. 1 (June 2012) socialogy expert). They are the leaders of revival of Marxism after World War I. This the Institute for Social Research school of social interests is to uncover the The school would like to try a more ideology of criticism and rejected claims of concrete way to reunite branches of absolute validity. knowledge in the social sciences that had The term “Frankfurt School” came into been fragmented without sacrificing its use around 1950 to refer back to the above positivity. The school also tried to redefine Institute (Kolakowsky, 1978: 341). The term Marxism at that time intellectually and is synonymous with the redevelopment socially. of the Institute after the war. The figures In the early 1930 the Institute released of Frankfrut School diminishing because their interest on labor movements. During many of them never returned from exile that time Marx Horkheimer was replacing and no one returned to East Germany. Carl Grunberg position and become the They are Horkheimer, Adorno, Pollock, leader of Zeitschrift fur Sozialforschung, Marcuse, Lowenthal (two of them, Marcuse a journal for Social Research) to replace and Lowenthal lived in the U.S.) the journals by Carl Grunberg, Archiv fur The term “Critical Theory” refers to die Geschicte des Sozialismus und der the paper of Horheimer, Kritische Theorie, Arbeiterbewegng (Discourse on History which was written in 1937 and published of Socialism and the Labour Movement). in the Journal and republished in 1968. The main analysis subject was shifted from This paper talks about the projects of class analysis to culture and authority the Institute. The figures often called as analysis. He “academized” politics (Gillian the first generation of Critical Theory are Rose, 1978: 2). Then the critical element in Max Horkaeimer, Theodor Adorno, and the historical process requires dealing with Herbert Marcuse. While Jurgen Habermas German authorities. is a Second Generation Critical Theory who Under the leadership of Horkheimer has a similar point of view with Lukacs both in Germany and during exile and Korsch in his interest in the legacy of (United States), the instituion which had German idealism, but in some cases they emphasized the conservatism and science were also regarded as the successor to the during Carl Grunberg time, shifted their spirit of the Left Wing Hegelianism in 1840 objective to emphasizing social research, (Jay, 1973: 43-44), technically and theoretically. Most articles The emerge of Frankrurt School is of this school appeared in the themes closely related to the views of Karl Marx that complained about the knowledge and his successors (Marxist), especially fragmentation during that time, the idea western Marxism which is known as of totality as the missing perspective, the Critical Marxism (Neo-Marxism). resistance to positivism, and symptoms This school emerged as a reaction to the to return to the tradition of Gillian Rose, restriction of Karl Marx doctrins which was (1978: 2). This emphasis illustrates the fears the ideology of the Communist Party of the of German academics against capitalism. Soviet Union (Arato and Gebhardt, 1978: The particularity of Frankfurt School is 4-18). Many German academics reject the that it was always against idealism and the pro-Soviet Communist Party developed in 97 DAMANHURI FATAH, The History of the Frankfrut School From Critism to Emancipation Movement Germany for betraying the doctrin of Marx Communist Party. His work Marxismus and the Social Democratic Party who lost und Philosophie (1923) (Marxism and his Marxist nature. As a result they tried to Philosophy), explaining that the doctrine define the Marx doctrine in accordance with of Marxism is a theory of his time with the the era. During that time they review the material conditions that exist in society. doctrin of Hegel which resurfaced idealism Another figure, such as Antonio Gramschi in Germany. The figures of the first wave called the view of the two figures mentioned of Neo-Maxis are including George Lukacs above as the “philosophy of praxis” as it (1885-1971), Ernst Bloch (1885-1974), and attempts to connect theory and praxis based Karl Korsch (1889-1963). on the doctrin of Marxism and German George Lukacs was actually the Idealism (Hegel) (Arato, 1982: 5). David Hungarian Communist Party activist. His Ryazanoov the director of Marx-Engels work, Geschichte und Klassenbewusstein Institute in Moscow published the Paris (1923) (History and Class Consciousness) Manuscript in 1932 which distribution was emphasizes on the awareness of proletarian prohibited by the Marxists who want to re- class and excluding the automatic element define the Marx doctrines in accordance (by itself) towards the history of capitalism with the era (Winggershaus, 1994: 31-32, that ended in accordance with Marxism 615). Ortodiks. According to Lukacs, the supra- However, the political situation under structure existed, the knowledge and communist during that time tested their ideology, need to be activated in order to views validity. Lukacs finally denied his enble changes (Wiggershaus, 1994: 15). views under the threat of the authority Ernist Bloch bought a big theme in his which at that time was on the hand of the philosophical effort in the form of. The Communist Party, while Korsch who did not theme was connected with the matter of want to deny his theory had to relinquish his ‘hope’.