Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Dialectic Of Enlightenment By Theodor Adorno - 1243 Words

In his work, Dialectic of Enlightenment, Theodor Adorno analyzes the nature of the culture industry. People everywhere are constantly being consumed by the culture industry, which is a term for the mass production of cultural goods such as films, magazines, and music. Adorno is concerned that the government uses the cultural industry as a way to deceive the masses and manipulate them into passivity. This idea remains true in today’s society. Young men and women are more interested in the release of the newest Taylor Swift or Adele song than political issues. People have become less intellectual as they are being consumed by the culture industry. It is much easier for a person to let himself be consumed by mass media and to let the media†¦show more content†¦They just accept it as a part of modern society because it is easier to go along with the system rather than try to resist it. The culture industry affects everything in today’s society. Adorno states, †Å"The whole world is passed through the filter of the culture industry† (99). Everywhere people go, there are billboards, commercials, and advertisements that demand their attention. Before seeing a movie, one must sit through previews of other movies that may interest them, as the theater hopes that the moviegoer returns to watch another movie. In the culture industry, people no longer exist as individuals. They only exist as objects that increase the wealth of the big business owners that control this capitalistic society. Because no one contests the existence of the culture industry, the culture industry can continue to exist. About the film and radio industries, Adorno states, â€Å"They call themselves industries, and the published figures for their directors’ incomes quell any doubts about the social necessity of their finished products† (95). Creating unique and groundbreaking films in today’s world is considered â€Å"risky,† and filmmakers would rather create sequels to films that were successful in the box office. People excitedly consume these sequels and the directors make huge profits, thereby ensuring yet another sequel to be made. Adorno also points out that the film and radioShow MoreRelatedDialectic Of Enlightenment By Max Horkheimer And Theodor Adorno1888 Words   |  8 PagesFrankfurt school, Dialectic of Enlightenment co-authored by Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno is certainly a strange book. First published in 1947, it is largely made up from the notes taken by Adorno’s wife during discussions between Horkheimer and him. Attempting to conceptualize the self-destructing process of Enlightenment, the transcendent theme brought forth by the authors related to the disintegration of reason. 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