Enlightenment’s drive to liberate men from fear ends in triumphant disaster.

Evidence

The first section, The Concept of Enlightenment', began like a thunderclap with the first central theme, the second being implicit in it: In the most general sense of progressive thought, the Enlightenment has always aimed at liberating men from fear and establishing their sovereignty. Yet the fully enlightened earth radiates disaster triumphant.’ Enlightenment as such, the argument ran, led to disaster. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 350

Categorization

• XREF: The book’s central paradox, connecting to Adorno and Horkheimer’s later claim that enlightenment as such leads to disaster.
• CANDY: The line ‘the fully enlightened earth radiates disaster triumphant’ is a quotable, memorable formulation.