Adorno reframed their fragmentary collaboration as an end in itself rather than a failure

Evidence

In his effort to justify the fact that he and Horkheimer were presentingin contrast to their longstanding intention to formulate a theory of societymerely a collection of marginalia to an absent, or at least not explicit, theory of society', Adorno had unexpectedly arrived at an idealization of the marginalia’ they were presenting into the actual goal of their collaboration. But could a denial of Critical Theory, justified by the irrationality of the social system, really be an adequate articulation of what they were both trying to achieve? — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 2393