SDS radicals accused Critical Theory of providing sophisticated despair without action.

Evidence

A leaflet distributed by the SDS in front of the main lecture hall, anticipating the tone of the offshoot of the protest movement that later moved into terrorism, and anticipating, too, an accusation against the Critical Theorists that was later raised from various different quarters, stated: The arson trial against Fritz Teufel documents the irrationalism of the judicial process that has been unleashed, and it can end with a student victory only if a network of testimony undermines even the most remotely rational arguments the court can produce. Professor Adorno was an ideal figure to produce such testimony, as he has peddled concepts such as the commodity character of society', reification’ and `culture industry’, a repertoire with which his listeners are invited to share in sophisticated despair. But requests from colleagues and students were fruitless, Prof. Adorno could not condescend to interpret the commune’s leaflet as a satirical expression of despair. He refused to help. This attitude is truly classicist in its modesty, since Adorno’s theorems of immutability are the very precondition for the frivolities the Commune instigates. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 654

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the book’s recurring theme of the Frankfurt School’s refusal to authorize political action.
• DEEPTHINKING: The charge that Adorno’s doctrines of immutability are the precondition for the very ungovernable tactics he condemned is the sharpest internal critique of Critical Theory made by its own students.