Horkheimer’s postwar conservatism led him to suppress politically engaged student research

Evidence

Horkheimer also vehemently criticized the dilettante, often irresponsible treatment of the empirical material' and the biased evaluation’ of it. In his view, the study’s overall approach meant that injustice was done to those, for example, who express a desire for bearable conditions and an aversion to restricting themselves to their own speciality' and thereby really offered models for the outlook of the individual in countries where nothing very positive is to be expected from political changes’. In the course of the 1950s, Horkheimer had become a convinced defender of the CDU slogan `No experiments!’, and his view was that the Institute could not gain any respect with a publication of this sort. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 2356

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the broader Frankfurt School story of Horkheimer’s retreat from radical critique toward CDU-aligned social democracy in the 1950s, paralleling the trajectory shown in the earlier chapters on the Institute’s return to Germany. — connects to: Horkheimer forbade the Institute from any political or émigré-support activity — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 539; Horkheimer’s own silence on capitalism contradicted his 1939 demand that fascism analysis require it — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 1722; Horkheimer forced Habermas out of the Institute by imposing a three-year study — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 2359 (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Horkheimer suppressed German republication of Dialectic of Enlightenment despite student demand. #exemplifies (0.95) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 2635
• The Institute suppressed Jewish-psychology research out of sensitivity and political caution #corroborates (0.75) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 1550