Adorno condemned Pollock’s state capitalism thesis as undialectical and complacent.

Evidence

I can best sum up my views on this article by saying that it represents a reversal of Kafka. Kafka represented the bureaucratic hierarchy as a hell. In this article, hell is transformed into a bureaucratic hierarchy. In addition, it is all formulated so axiomatically and condescendingly, in the Husserlian sense, that it lacks all urgency, quite à part [sic] from the undialectical assumption that a non-antagonistic economy might be possible in an antagonistic society. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 1163

Categorization

• DEFINE: Adorno’s phrase ‘reversal of Kafka’ elegantly captures the difference between critical dystopia and reactionary apology — the dialectical stance Pollock’s essay allegedly lacks.
• XREF: Directly relevant to the debate over whether state capitalism theory conceded too much to totalitarian coordination — echoes Neumann’s ‘Behemoth’ and later critiques of instrumental reason. — connects to: Adorno’s diagnosis of Kafka leads him to reject Pollock’s state capitalism — Dirk Braunstein, Adorno’s Critique of Political Economy, 584; Disagreement with Pollock forced Adorno to retain economic critique — Dirk Braunstein, Adorno’s Critique of Political Economy, 586; Neumann faulted Pollock for lacking a transition theory from monopoly to state capitalism — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 1172 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Adorno’s diagnosis of Kafka leads him to reject Pollock’s state capitalism #corroborates (0.85) — Dirk Braunstein, Adorno’s Critique of Political Economy, 584
• Disagreement with Pollock forced Adorno to retain economic critique #expands (0.80) — Dirk Braunstein, Adorno’s Critique of Political Economy, 586
• Neumann faulted Pollock for lacking a transition theory from monopoly to state capitalism #qualifies (0.70) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 1172