Adorno shelved his Godesberg critique fearing it would aid democracy’s enemies

Evidence

Adorno had for some time planned to write a critique of the Godesberg Programme, and to get it published in the Kursbuch edited by Hans Magnus Enzensberger, who was enthusiastic about the idea. A fear of providing grist to the mill of `those undermining democracy, which has been seriously shaken’, made Adorno shy away before the plan could be carried through, however. Horkheimer encouraged these doubts. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 2523

Categorization

• SEED: An essay angle on self-censorship in the Frankfurt circle: theoretical clarity sacrificed to political prudence, echoing the Institute’s earlier strategic self-censoring of Marxist vocabulary for funders.
• XREF: connects to: The SPD expelled the SDS over atomic weapons, Nazi-lawyer exposures, and Godesberg criticism. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 2381; Political caution made Adorno abandon his planned critique of the Godesberg Programme. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 2523; Adorno’s earlier anti-fascist position demanded denunciation of Communist policy remain purely theoretical — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 1674

Broader Connections

• Political caution made Adorno abandon his planned critique of the Godesberg Programme. #corroborates (0.95) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 2523
• Adorno’s earlier anti-fascist position demanded denunciation of Communist policy remain purely theoretical #expands (0.85) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 1674