Horkheimer refused writing aimed at success, arguing it reduces thought to literary fireworks.

Evidence

Admittedly, Tillich’s suggestion was as friendly as could be, both with regard to the readers, who would thus be treated more `democratically’, and with regard to the public fate of the authors. But even you yourself cannot suppose that such a publication would be able to distinguish itself from literary fireworks of that sort except by using exotic theses. But what are theses! Ours, as the principal passages in a successful publication, would in the best case only add a new shade of colour to the bouquet of rockets. I am well aware how infinitely well-meaning you are. But must there really be no thinking left which is not merely looking for success? — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 339

Categorization

• XREF: Resonates with Adorno’s later critiques of the culture industry and of communicative success — the same refusal of market-facing argument. — connects to: Horkheimer rejected Tillich’s plan for a material-rich argumentative work as literary fireworks — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 1324; Horkheimer rejected publishable, argument-rich books as mere intellectual fireworks — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 1325; Horkheimer rejected the argumentative, material-rich book as the wrong form for critical theory. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 339
• APHORISMS: ‘Must there really be no thinking left which is not merely looking for success?’ is a durable, uncomfortable maxim for anyone who writes for a living.
• yield-rescued: below the book’s yield-target cutoff, included anyway for connecting to: Horkheimer rejected Tillich’s plan for a material-rich argumentative work as literary fireworks — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 1324; Horkheimer rejected publishable, argument-rich books as mere intellectual fireworks — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 1325; Horkheimer rejected the argumentative, material-rich book as the wrong form for critical theory. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 339