Critique and Reconstruction: The Frankfurt School's Theory of Civilization

Author: Wang Fengcai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: Modernization seems to be the trend of the times and the aspiration of the people. However, examining the Frankfurt School from the perspective of civilizational theory is a distinctive feature of this work. The author defines the meaning of civilizational theory in his own understanding and traces the trajectory of the Frankfurt School's thought development along the lines of "critique and reconstruction."—Yu Wujin
This work revolves around the theme of "critique and reconstruction" and conducts a relatively systematic study of the Frankfurt School's civilizational theory. By taking civilizational theory as an entry point to examine the Frankfurt School, this book opens up new perspectives for research on the Frankfurt School. It not only clearly defines the connotation and types of civilizational theory but also, based on constructing a framework system for the Frankfurt School's civilizational theory, provides a reasonable positioning for it. Additionally, it offers differing views on some misunderstandings of the Frankfurt School in academia and proposes new insights into the future direction of human civilization.—Chen Xueming
This is a scholarly work that systematically studies the civilizational theory of the Frankfurt School, with at least four innovations: First, based on defining the connotation of civilizational theory, it divides it into two types: pessimistic civilizational theory and optimistic civilizational theory, tracing the origin of pessimistic civilizational theory back to ancient Greek mythology. Second, by studying the Frankfurt School from the perspective of civilizational theory, it not only finds a new entry point for studying the Frankfurt School but also opens up a new field for research. Third, under the theme of "critique and reconstruction," it constructs a framework system for the civilizational theory of the Frankfurt School for the first time, conducts a realistic evaluation of it, positions it as pessimistic civilizational theory, and proposes some relatively important new insights. Fourth, it emphasizes that "ecological civilization is the future direction of civilizational development, and harmonious development is the necessary path to ecological civilization."—Fu Youde
Civilizational theory is one of the core issues in cultural philosophy and an important component of the Frankfurt School's critical theory. Starting with an interpretation of the classic works of the Frankfurt School's civilizational theory and based on extensive documentary research, this book, with a broad academic perspective, provides a relatively systematic exposition of the Frankfurt School's civilizational theory. It not only constructs a framework system for the civilizational theory of the Frankfurt School for the first time but also strives to offer a realistic and scientific critique of it. Furthermore, it proposes some relatively important new insights while objectively and authentically reproducing the civilizational theory of the Frankfurt School.