An irrational social whole cannot be grasped by a rational, consistent theory.
Evidence
The increasing irrationality of society itself, manifested by today’s threatened catastrophes and the obvious potential for society to destroy itself, is irreconcilable with rational theory. Theory can now hardly continue to take society at a word that society itself no longer speaks. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 2390
Categorization
- DEEPTHINKING: The claim that theory’s coherence mirrors its object’s coherence, and that a self-destructive society withdraws the ‘word’ theory could take it at, is a compact statement of Adorno’s late position and rewards sustained reflection.
- XREF: Connects to the exchange-principle hypothesis in ch81 where ‘theory can no longer take society at a word it no longer speaks’ parallels society no longer honoring its own rational norms. — connects to: The irrationality of society did not justify abandoning dialectical theory — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 2396; Social wholes exceed their components, so social law cannot be physical law — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1656; A self-consistent philosophy can be completely false while inconsistent systems hold truth — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 2213 (+7 more)
Broader Connections
- The irrationality of society did not justify abandoning dialectical theory
#complicates(0.85) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 2396 - Horkheimer blamed society’s irrational structure for the retreat from systematic theory
#expands(0.85) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 2388 - A self-consistent philosophy can be completely false while inconsistent systems hold truth
#complicates(0.80) — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 2213 - Dialectical logic cannot be formal because reality itself is concrete.
#expands(0.80) — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 532 - Social wholes exceed their components, so social law cannot be physical law
#expands(0.75) — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1656 - Society’s development cannot be explained by physical laws of quantity.
#corroborates(0.75) - Instrumental rationality cannot prevent mass atrocities and normalizes social engineering.
#exemplifies(0.75) — Zygmunt Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust, 83 - Theory clarifies social fate even if it cannot prevent it.
#qualifies(0.75) — Diego Gambetta, Trust - Making and Breaking Cooperative…, 1455 - Rational choices today can make rational choices tomorrow impossible.
#exemplifies(0.70) — Zygmunt Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust, 385