ENGL 300: Introduction to Theory of Literature
Lecture 17 - The Frankfurt School of Critical Theory. This first lecture on social theories of art and artistic production examines the Frankfurt School. The theoretical writings of Theodor Adorno and Walter Benjamin are explored in historical and political contexts, including Marxism, socialist realism, and late capitalism. The concept of mechanical reproduction, specifically the relationship between labor and art, is explained at some length. Adorno's opposition to this argument, and his own position, are explained. The lecture concludes with a discussion of Benjamin's perspective on the use of distraction and shock in the process of aesthetic revelation. (from oyc.yale.edu)
| Lecture 17 - The Frankfurt School of Critical Theory |
| Time | Lecture Chapters |
| [00:00:00] | 1. Marx, Engels, and Ideology |
| [00:09:46] | 2. The Aesthetics of Marxist Criticism |
| [00:19:58] | 3. Adorno, the Work of Art, and Collectivity |
| [00:27:54] | 4. Bloch's Principle of Hope |
| [00:31:09] | 5. Benjamin and Mechanical Reproduction |
| [00:37:54] | 6. Adorno and Conformism |
| [00:41:01] | 7. Benjamin, the Spectator, and Distraction |
| References |
| Lecture 17 - The Frankfurt School of Critical Theory Instructor: Professor Paul H. Fry. Handout: Passages from Adorno [PDF]. Transcript [html]. Audio [mp3]. Download Video [mov]. |
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