Philosophy’s positive character emerges from two negative procedures.
Evidence
Distorted though the great ideals of civilizationjustice, equality, freedommay be, they are nature’s protestations against her plight, the only formulated testimonies we possess. Toward them philosophy should take a dual attitude. (1) It should deny their claims to being regarded as the ultimate and infinite truth. … Philosophy derives its positive character precisely from the interplay of these two negative procedures. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 1466
Categorization
- DEFINE: Lays out Horkheimer’s two negative procedures by which philosophy relates to the great ideals — the dual attitude of denial and measured affirmation.
- XREF: connects to: Philosophical propositions dialectically preserve, suppress, and present their cancelled form