Psychology-socialism debates shaped Horkheimer’s turn to Freudian theory

Evidence

In contrast, Horkheimer’s interest in Freud had extended back into the 1920’s. His concern was partly stimulated by Leo Lowenthal, who was actually analyzed by Frieda Fromm-Reichmann in the mid-twenties. In addition; the relationship between psychology and socialism was a topic often discussed in the Frankfurt of those years. A figure of some importance in left-wing university circles after 1929 was the Belgian socialist Hendrik de Man, whose On the Psychology of Socialism (1926)’ attempted to replace economic determinism with a more subjectively grounded activism. De Man attacked the utilitarian, interest-oriented psychology he attributed to Marx, stressing instead the irrational roots of radical action. It was rumored at the time that de Man was brought to the Frankfurt faculty as a professor of social psychology to provide a counterweight to the Institut’s more orthodox Marxism. Whatever the reason, his coming did not win Horkheimer and the others over to an irrationalist position, which was clearly incompatible with Critical Theory; de Man’s later flirtation with fascism would seem to confirm their distrust. What they did share with him, however, was a desire to go beyond the instrumental utilitarianism that permeated vulgar Marxism. — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination, 317

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Horkheimer came to philosophy late, after commerce and psychology — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination: A History…, 97; Horkheimer defended Freud against Fromm’s critique of bourgeois elements in his thinking — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination: A History…, 356; Freudian political psychology produced many hypotheses but drew reductionism critiques — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 332 (+9 more)

Broader Connections

• Marxist theories of false consciousness merged with Freudian psychoanalysis in the Frankfurt School. #expands (0.85) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 100
• Horkheimer defended Freud against Fromm’s critique of bourgeois elements in his thinking #expands (0.80) — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination, 356
• Authoritarian prejudice operates through Freudian projection of repressed sex and aggression onto minorities #expands (0.78) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 548
• Freudian psychoanalytic theory shaped the study of personality in politics #expands (0.75) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 105
• Freudian political psychology produced many hypotheses but drew reductionism critiques #complicates (0.72) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 332
• Freudian racism theory neglected Kleinian pre-Oedipal dynamics until Theweleit #complicates (0.72)
• Harold Lasswell imported Freudian drives into political science while suppressing death-drive concepts #expands (0.70) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 332