The Study On Theodor Wiesengrund Adorno’s Critical Theory Of Culture Industry

As one of the most creative theorists in the contemporary era,Adorno has a very important and irreplaceable position in the development of the Frankfurt School and Western Marxism.Under the context of the late period of capitalist society,Adorno profoundly analyzed the phenomenon of cultural industry and proposed a critical theory of cultural industry.Based on this research,people can recognize and reflect on the disadvantages of capitalist society,which is conducive to the development of Marxist cultural theory,and is also of great theoretical and practical significance to China’s socialist cultural industry.Adorno’s critique of culture industry has a specific background and theoretical foundation.The brutal rule of German fascism,Adorno’s perception of the development of American culture,and the development of mass media under totalitarianism collectively produced this theory.In this era,Adorno proposed a critical theory of culture industry;It drew on ideas from Marx’s labor and commodity theory,Hegel’s dialectic thought,Lukacs’ s theory of materialization,and Benjamin’s theory of constellation.As for Adorno’s critique of culture industry,Adorno firstly criticized the thought of enlightenment rationalism that advocates enlightenment originated from myth but returned to myth.He believed that the art produced by cultural industry does not have the function of criticism and reflection.With the characteristics of standardization,pseudo-individualization,and commercialization,the products produced by cultural industry are deeply controlled by capital,which deceives and controls the thinking of the public in the ideological field,thereby strengthening the dominant position of the bourgeois.Adorno believed that the emergence of the cultural industry stems from a way of thinking of abstract identity.Therefore,by criticizing the non-cultural and non-popularity nature of culture and art,as well as the instrumental reason and the mechanism of capital selection,Adorno criticized this kind of mode of thinking,tried to construct a non-identity thinking,and depicted the conception of art.Adorno dialectically analyzed the phenomenon of cultural industry.He criticized the phenomenon of cultural industry in capitalist society from various angles,and deeply realized that the way of ruling class’ s domination of the public is no longer the forms of economic exploitation and political oppression,but a more invisible way of cultural form.We should use a dialectic perspective to view Adorno’s critique of culture industry.On the one hand,he focused on individual freedom and personality.On the other hand,he ignored the subjective initiative of human beings;he supported the self-discipline status of culture and art,but unilaterally declared the counter-cultural characteristics of the cultural industry.Adorno’s critique of culture industry can provide reference for the development of cultural industry in China.At present,the vigorous development of science,technology and economy in our country has brought a series of problems to the development of cultural industry.In this regard,the development of cultural industry will continue to be further boosted with the development of the current era.It is particularly important to grasp the ideological leadership in the development of cultural industry.In addition,we need to combine advanced science and technology with cultural industry,fully absorb Chinese excellent traditional culture,as well as pay attention to the spiritual needs of the people.Therefore,the research on Adorno’s critique of culture industry can provide theoretical foundation and feasible methods for the development of China’s cultural industry.