Adorno and Horkheimer criticized Husserl’s phenomenology for denying mediation

Evidence

In attacking his “reductive” method, which sought eternal essences through a phenomenological exploration of consciousness, Adorno, like Horkheimer, argued for the importance of mediation (Vermittlung). — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination, 263

Categorization

• DEFINE: Introduces Vermittlung (mediation) as the core critical-theory counter to Husserlian essentialism.
• XREF: connects to: Sartre rejects Husserl’s epoché because he examines consciousness in-the-world; Adorno and Horkheimer rejected immediacy and Hegel’s identity of subject and object. — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination: A History…, 258; Adorno defended Benjamin’s method against phenomenological misreading — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination: A History…, 609 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Adorno defended Benjamin’s method against phenomenological misreading #expands (0.85) — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination, 609