Reacher On Adorno's Critical Theory Of Cultural Industry

Cultural industry emerged with the development of western society and soon occupied a place in the field of western culture.As one of the soul figures of western Marxism,Adorno's critical theory of cultural industry is a radical theory put forward in order to expose the plight of the subsistence and culture in the 20 th century.Adorno's critical theory of cultural industry was closely connected with the social reality at that time.At that time,Germany under Nazi control was under fascist autocratic rule and ideological propaganda,which prompted Adorno to resist and criticize the cultural industry without hesitation.Adorno,who was deported to the United States,saw the penetration of American business culture into people's lives and thoughts.The progress of science and technology and mass media provides the means and media for the cultural industry.As a member of the western Marxist school,Adorno's thought is inseparable from Marxism.His critical theory of cultural industry was influenced by Marx's commodity fetishism and Lukacs' theory of materialization.Meanwhile,he also combined Freud's psychoanalysis theory from the field of psychology.Adorno devoted all his life to the study of the cultural industry of capitalist society,especially in the field of music and aesthetics.In Adorno's opinion,cultural industry is different from the popular culture that enjoys universal popularity and serves the masses.It is the cultural product that the ruler of capitalist society manipulates people on the industrial assembly line with the help of businessmen.For Adorno,it was necessary to replace "mass culture" with "cultural industry" in the society at that time.In order to pursue profits,the cultural industry makes cultural products in a neat and uniform way to deceive consumers,which results in the loss of resistance spirit of the public and the original originality of literary and artistic works.Therefore,Adorno believed that the mass culture in the contemporary western society presents the characteristics of commercialization trend,standardization style,deceptive promise and so on.Adorno seems to criticize the culture of capitalist society,but in fact he criticizes the politics,economy,science and technology in the society.Adorno's critical theory of cultural industry,starting from the cultural field,points out that all kinds of malady in the capitalist society at the monopoly stage have enhanced people's pursuit of individual autonomy and artistic originality.At the same time,Adorno's critical theory of culture also has limitations.He criticizes the cultural industry purely and has a one-sided understanding of science and technology.The influence of Adorno's critical theory of cultural industry cannot be ignored.For example,the critique and inheritance of Adorno's critical theory of culture by Benjamin,Birmingham school and postmodernism is also a supplement and improvement of Adorno's critical theory of culture industry,which also effectively confirms that Adorno's critical theory of culture industry is a precious material in the history of cultural theory.