Horkheimer himself distrusted the hopeful elements in his authoritarian state essay.

Evidence

In a letter to Adorno, he mentioned that `we still have to elaborate these positive formulations for ourselves. The weakness of them affects the conclusion of the work on the authoritarian state as well.’ — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 1159

Categorization

• QUESTION: This admission by Horkheimer suggests the conceptual difficulties of formulating positive, non-dialectical hope within critical theory — worth tracing how the Institute later resolved it.
• XREF: connects to: Horkheimer held Soviet hopes as a clinging against appearances, not evidence.; Horkheimer long resisted republishing his 1930s essays over fear of being misunderstood — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination: A History…, 861; Horkheimer saw Soviet events as clinging hope, not demonstrated success

Broader Connections

• Horkheimer long resisted republishing his 1930s essays over fear of being misunderstood #expands (0.85) — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination, 861