Defending intellectuals requires exposing their own ideological husk.

Evidence

From this insight, Adorno draws the same conclusion from fifteen years prior: if one is to defend third persons, ‘it cannot be by praising the mind abstractly but only by expressing the negative element in them as well. Only when the ideological husk of their own existence falls away, only in a process of merciless self-reflection that would be the self-reflection of society as well, would they attain their social truth’. — Dirk Braunstein, Adorno’s Critique of Political Economy, 1068

Categorization

• XREF: The ‘merciless self-reflection’ as social self-reflection echoes the immanent-critique methodology central to Adorno’s approach, and the book’s larger argument about critique of political economy. — connects to: Intellectuals must admit ideology rather than claim value-free science — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 435; Political intellectuals are tempted to treat theory as transparent and foundational rather than strategic — Stuart Hall, Essential Essays, Volume 2: Identity…, 1025

Broader Connections

• Intellectuals must admit ideology rather than claim value-free science #corroborates (0.85) — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 435
• Political intellectuals are tempted to treat theory as transparent and foundational rather than strategic #complicates (0.75) — Stuart Hall, Essential Essays, Volume 2, 1025