Early Western Marxism assigned intellectuals an active revolutionary role alongside the proletariat.

Evidence

The quotation from Marx at the end of Korsch’s Marxism and Philosophy, You cannot transcend [aufheben] philosophy without realizing [verwirklichen] it', had a special significance in the current situation. It meant that intellectuals who were prepared to ally themselves to the proletariat were to have an important role to play. There could be no question of curing’ them of their intellectuality. Rather, it was necessary to transmit this intellectuality to the workers. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 49

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the core identity question of the Frankfurt School — the intellectual’s relation to the working class — which Wiggershaus will trace through the Institute’s entire history. — connects to: Proletariat and intellectuals need each other mutually for revolution — Dirk Braunstein, Adorno’s Critique of Political Economy, 266; The petit bourgeois intelligentsia dominated Marxist theory and the Bolshevik revolution

Broader Connections

• Proletariat and intellectuals need each other mutually for revolution #corroborates (0.92) — Dirk Braunstein, Adorno’s Critique of Political Economy, 266
• The petit bourgeois intelligentsia dominated Marxist theory and the Bolshevik revolution #expands (0.80)