Horkheimer and Adorno diverged from sociology to philosophy of history

Evidence

The former, who entered the scene as the inspirer of a progressive, interdisciplinary social theory, resigned himself in the end to the role of critic of an administered world in which liberal capitalism, as the last outpost in the history of a failed civilization, was threatening to disappear. For the latter, who entered the scene as a critic of immanent thought and as the advocate of a new, liberated music, the philosophy of history of a failed civilization became the basis of a many-sided theory of non-identity, or rather of the forms in which the non-identical could, paradoxically, be given consideration. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 12

Categorization

• DEFINE: Succinct contrast defining ‘critic of the administered world’ (Horkheimer) vs. ‘theory of non-identity’ (Adorno) — useful reference glosses.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 12