The members of the Frankfurt School of thought (critical theorists or ghostbusters) have deeply influenced the individualistic western society in the
20th century for forty years and including the elder Marcuse even for sixty. In turn they were deeply
influenced by the agressive superiority behavior in Hitler's Nazism in WWII and everything involved with this sub-paradigm. People in Asia can think of the unimaginable arrogance behind the atrocities in WWII by the Japanese at for instance the river Kwai.
Don't ask what made individual German and Japanese soldiers act like cruel zombies, but what paradigm dreams extremely manipulated their moods. That gave a new meaning to 'living in a nightmare'.
The rational reality of power thinking shaped by Hitler's gang and by the rational Japanese Buddhist engineers, had also for common sense German and Japanese
civilians been an extremely frightening myth.
| During the dirty Vietnam War 'rational behavior' was introduced by CIA in armytop in buddhist Miyanmar, and still no country reacted |
'Spiritual thinking (virtual) proved to have almost no natural ethics. That's why in their formal uneasy English
these prominent thinkers from German culture warn inherently: the 'rationality' of the general media in Nazi Germany was scaring, and really not essentially different here in America.
In the United States Empire immediately after WWII the media grew in the role
of 'individuality' defenders and 'collectivism'-hunters'. But the same media were VERY 'understanding' ('rational' notion)
when the egoist 'rational' US drove the more common sense Dutch out of Papua New Guinee and almost colonized this stuffed with mineral resources Indonesian island
When realizing that Hitler came to power thanks to 'rational' support and heavy sponsoring of corporate US,
that makes one wonder. Nazism is close to a copy of Ku Klux Klan, replacing blacks with Jews.
Especially after learning about the decisive role of IBM.
American companies 'rationally' earned MANY millions extra during WWII. And after WWII the 'rational' empire US suddenly was a military and economic superpower. |
Please completely forget about by extremely influential 'rational media' INVENTED labels like 'Marxist'or 'leftist'. And recognize throwing atom bombs and torching down towns in after war Germany as X times more 'unethical' than bombarding Coventry or London. Sure Nazi Germany was under influence of fascism,
but without doubt so were the power circles in 'rational' US and 'the new rich' in equally 'rational' UK (sorry but just think of the American Red Indian Genocide, Apartheid, Black Slavery, British Empire wars, Economic Slavery). And as in 2005 is shown by the Iraq War: in 60 years US and UK governments learned practically zero in ethical and cultural matters. Neither did US politics or UK politics.
Peculiar subcultures.
.
Fobia
'Killer Bee'-like media stimulated by J. Edgar Hoover assisted the U.S. senator McCarthy in his historical witch hunt against 'communists'.
Such media should realize their murderous ethical potential. Think of a cultural fear as caused in the 1960s by the movie "Jaws". In the meantime many people recognize the intelligence of sharks as certainly not agressive. In fact say 12 million years back sharks equalled present humans in success. Millions of years from now far relatives of present octopusses might wonder what stopped the evolution of the mighty predator 'rational hunter'.
"Rational Hunters' are the sharks of the Human Ocean. Just like in case of sharks their dominant position has ended.
The terrorism-fobia in U.S. government circles is similar to fear of Jews in Nazi Germany, it is caused by moods as evoked with 'nightmare' stories. Many of those were Hoover inspired, the bed-sheats of this Mr. America and his Fanatic Bedtime Infiltrators must have been soaked with sweat. But anyway the protestant Hoover and
IBM succeeded in changing history. (By the way since recently IBM became
owner of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States for 1 billion dollar).
Most 'terrorists' are intelligent and only forced into attack as way of defense. Have a look at this modern 'critical theory description' of Osama bin Laden. The nervous 'communication providers' didn't mean harm, but became 'knowledge makers' without wisdom. Their 'cultural frenzy' wrecked a lot of fine people. The Japanese could't be accused of being leftist, but
have 'rational' word-jugglers (politicians) (like the German Nazi top, AND the English and American leaders).
| The present tv giant CNN saving lives is a fairytale that is only believed by Americans. A full day coverage of tornado Rita with zero or a few deads while a typhoon killing thousands of people in China
only is mentioned in the weather forecast. But indeed no US casualties. |
.
Menu
1. Fighting a Real Enemy
2. Horror Paradigms
3. In the frontline
4. Freedom of ('Spiritual'=virtual) Speech is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
5. Critical Observing
6. Trying to Identify Paths towards Truth
7. Giving 'being human' a content
8. Critical without being Politic
9. Free Media: The Myth
10. Frankfurt School and 'the Media'
11. Web of Reason - Rationalism as Illness
12. Critical Theory in Present
.
Fighting a Real Enemy
These Frankfurt School guys knew exactly what they were talking about.
They were philosophers shaped by experience, in an 'ignorant' part of the world that had been far away from the troubles.
Movies doesn't even come close to the experience of war, TOTALLY DESTROYED German towns after WWII when flying over
looked like burned down cinemas including audience. The Vietnam War compared to it was a birthday party.
A 'critical theory view' gives the following picture of Osama bin Laden.
It makes sense to see paranoid inventing of enemies in the U.S. as an introvert version of overgrown individualism afraid for collectivism, made possible by an isolated US (see individualism versus collectivism). Behavior essentially unfit for especially police, army, intelligence and politics.
.
A paradigm like 'Apartheid' settled just as creepy in South Africa.
Paradigms are subrealities (ways of life) too complex for a script, but can simulated in awfully simplified way with a conceptual scheme (script).
Such scripts need no 'bad' guys, only B-actors looking for a job (just think of Ronald Reagan).
Then AFTERWARDS in doctrines an ever better fitting ethics is grown.
Doctrines resemble advertising campaigns.
ANYTHING may happen. I.e. Terminator III becoming president, taking as vice president Rambo VI. Driving around in
a batmobile cheered by 'the masses' while having sex with some actress. Normal behavior according to his media.
The Western World after WWII is such a US made paradigm (part of Western Empire). The USA is the modern version of 'Rome'. |
Not Computer behavior is dangerous, but shooting around like a machine with only 1 logic (absolute behavior). |
.
In the frontline
In fact Marcuse was 'in the frontline' in the 20th century for sixty years. This makes him the most
influential philosopher of that century. He didn't get that acknowledgement. Maybe later. In his Critical Theory
period he must have been somewhat of a (European) young 'radical'. Nowadays he would have been a critical social democrat.
The involvement with politics of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory, made philosophy interesting. At the same time short term
mixing with politics is quite against the basics of philosophy. Critical Theory itself spoke about 'analyzing'. It gave a boost to sociology, by coupling
the dangerous duo politics and philosophy (see my article Philosophy and Sociology).
The members of the Frankfurt School of the first generation all did a
hell of a job in analyzing, staying away from solutions.
| But the by Critical Theory unwillingly pushed study 'sociology' appeared not that strict. It didn't restrict itself to
analyzing and terribly messed around creating own mainly Western fantasies (myths). Its latest myth is 'terrorism', in fact a similar fantasy
was already used to accuse corruption threatening hero's of criminal behavior, like in case of Robin Hood and much later Billy the Kid. |
.
Freedom of Speech as basic right is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
Inherently members of the Frankfurt School warned that Freedom of Speech applied by German politics had proved to be disastrous.
Now they were in a country that even promoted Freedom of Speech as BASIC right. But 'spiritual' communication
(giving words to fear) can create any prejudice, it should be limited. Not in absolute way, but by relative rules. Similar to what was done in Buddhism.
Forbidding images of humans makes sense. It certainly prevents a lot of prejudices, and many awful mistakes.
Freedom of Speech is mostly having to read what others think.
When you want to give your opinion, it is only published if favorable.
Glad to have found a safe and hospitable new home, the philosophers of Critical Theory though were careful in not being painfully critical.
They were probably right, but that really was a pity. Marcuse in the muffled mid 20th century revolution of youth Flower Power in vain tried to create a counter culture. Flower Power tried to realize a change in ethics
by introducing the relative notion 'love'. It was ridiculed.
This lost revolution though delivered a new generation that SEEMED to be different, but that also had surrendered
and adapted to rational tactics. Without realizing and unwantingly they were even a greater barricade for progress. It shows that
an ethics like found in the super-culture known as The Western World like the rational doctrine (= religion) shapes thinking, and deviating thought is just integrated in that religion.
In the end females will be tolerated in Roman Catholic Thinking, but the Western Christian Church remains based on male domination.
Politics became on ALL levels drowned with fashionable speaking politicians, but in practice defending the rational gangs in the trational rational 'power houses'.
.
Critical Observing
Among the very first the members of the Frankfurt School attacked following cultural myths:
- state capitalism.
- mass communication
- mass consumer society manipulating needs,
- science and technology being unique
|
Crital Observing is using 'rationality' only as logic, not as supplier of 'value'.
Later this stream of thought was called
Critical Theory.
Critical theory from 1930 to mid 1960 was certainly on the cutting edge of social theory.
.
Trying to Identify Paths towards Truth
The German born philosopher Herbert Marcuse founded the Frankfurt School. Not the sociological school in Frankfurt, but the philosophic movement that got this name.
With his novel One Dimensional Man he influenced a generation of 60s radicals and introduced critical theory to the new generation of critical scholars and activists.
His friend Theodor Adorno fled to the States for the Nazis. There after World War II he fiercely attacked the role of totalitarism,
assisted by Max Horkheimer.
Unlike others Herbert Marcuse remained close to the concept of Critical Theory in linking
theory and practice, to come to radical critique and action against domination.
Much later, in Reason and Revolution, he wrote (confusingly): "Theory will preserve the truth even if revolutionary practice deviates from its proper path. ...
Practice follows the truth, not vice versa" (Marcuse, 1973: 321 322). Read 'truth' as 'nature'. Another
way of saying that 'theory' tries to find logic in nature.
Truth/nature is researched earth by trial and error (whether by theory or by practice) and can't be bought pre-made from heaven.
.
Giving 'being human' a content
In their Dialectic of Enlightenment, written in the States, Adorno and Horkheimer realized that reason was being used to strengthen systems
rather than transform them. Enlightenment had become mystification and thus a tool of domination.
Thus for the Frankfurt School enlightenment turned into its opposite; reason was used to legitimate domination
(Hitler, Stalin, capital); propaganda replaced critical thinking; rationalization didn't prevent creation of instruments of death and destruction;
science and technology let themselves be used for creating eugenics and concentration camps.
Marcuse explained in 1936 what he considered to be basics of Critical Theory (in the essay The Concept of Essence).
He starts with showing that Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle held that essence was basically prisoned in an uneasy relationship with appearance (or truth is hidden in practice).
Afterwards Thomas Aquinas and in general Medieval philosophy neglected the discussion of essence, and considered truth to be inherent in 'reality' (combined with an absolute view of truth and reality).
Three elements emerge:
1. The way leading from facts to essence is historical (progress is history: see Western World history).
2. Critical theory (as understood by Marcuse), links the practical descriptive process of revealing appearance with what could be (essence).
3. Domination and servitude are not necessary for people in history to realise their potential. What is required is to show that better ways are possible and inherent in the appearance.
Then for Marcuse the task of Critical Theory becomes the identification and critique of the obstacles that block such better ways. Mind NOT showing the better way! (that would be prescriptive)
.
Critical without being Politic
The 'critical period' was important because it showed the limitations of since the French Enlightenment dominant rationalism
(in his then present shape economic rationalism or capitalism). Although it set out to show limitations and dangerous side
of totalitarian thought, it in fact showed the necessity to combine it with relative thought.
This must have stimulated Thomas Kuhn in his thinking about paradigm shifts (that in theory makes it possible
to depart from rationalism in its then present shape).
Critical Theory introduced now well known terms like: the totally administered society, the one-dimensional society, the legitimation crisis.
| The legitimation crisis is a rationality crisis. Rational human lost contact with his/her 'common sense ego' by loosing contact with many messages from the senses, and mainly steering with use of rational logic. |
Often in sociology is acted if "The Frankfurt School" is only sociology and founded by Max Horkheimer and later lead by Habermas. That completely ignores the philosophic movement that got known under this name founded by Marcuse.
In that case:
First Generation: Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Erich Fromm, Herbert Marcuse.
Second generation: Habermas, Dahrendorf and others
Third generation: Axel Honneth.
Habermas was for years heading the research group of the German "Max Planck Institute" into the "Conditions of Life in the Scientific-Technical World." It shows he can hardly be called independent, and certainly not a-politic. That's common in sociology, but 'not done' in philosophy.
.
Free Media: The Myth
What the members of the Frankfurt School tried to explain was: having 'Free' Media is a myth.
Media in the hands of free businessmen or democratic political parties are far from free, but only communication instruments of their owners. That's no problem, but what they need is relative rules.
Not absolute ones like medium X should not serve businessman Y, but relative ones saying any communication medium that mainly is advertising instrument for its
owner should be known as such.
It is ridiculous to allow any magazine to take the name "Free Observer" (just an example) when it mainly gives the opinion of its owners or of any subculture. That is a 'white crime', a name like "The prejudice" or "The Myth Maker" would be more appropriate.
| Free Papers are meant to EXPLAIN myths, not to make own ones |
.
Frankfurt School and 'the Media'
Rational media critics often consider the view of The Frankfurt School on 'the media' as pessimistic. And then they often cite Marcuse. That's easy, given his moderate English language.
It is not difficult to prove any point. Calling the Frankfurt School Marxist is way too easy, and quite falsely making it appear dogmatic. The media became active opinion makers in stead of UNPARTIAL observers.(In my view that's exactly creating a paradigm through wishful thinking [henk tuten])
I wouldn't use the description 'pessimistic', because I recognize the result of keen analysis of the influence of 'the press' on cultures (or paradigms). I don't notice much pessimism in Critical Theory, but mainly see deep digging analysis
During the revolution of youth Flower Power this same Marcuse showed that in fact he strongly believed in 'the young of mind'. If he was pessimistic then only rightfully
about the ability of older generations to change.
In fact in describing the role of 'the media' the members of The Frankfurt School pointed consciously or unconsciously at their ability to enforce local paradigms.
All members had experienced how Hitler with his 'publicity circus' succeeded in doing so, and were very keen in observing it. Not because of being 'negative'
or 'pessimistic', but having more 'inside experience' than most of their American readers.
.
Web of Reason - Rationalism as Illness
Recently I saw a documentary showing that volcanic eruptions can be preducted by
looking at the increasing frequency produced by their resonance waves.
That made me realize that warnings for social eruptions (major revolutions) are resonance waves
caused by ever in frequency increasing social shocks.
| It was Herbert Marcuse who wrote: The web of domination has become the web of Reason itself, and this society is fatally entangled in it.
Translated he wrote: A large part of the world got suffocated by the doctrine rationalism.
. But although this was destructive for evolution it didn't succeed in killing creativity. This was building pressure,
and an eruption comes near. |
Seen that way the first two noticed social shocks were the thoughts of Darwin and Nietzsche.
It was followed by two shocks both caused by Ludwig Wittgenstein, one as a youth and one in his forties.
That was soon followed in 1962 by the major work of Thomas Kuhn. That work caused a series of social shocks
but rest superficiously returned.
In overview:
1859: Darwin, On the Origin of Species
1880: Nietzsche: Also Sprach Zarathustra
1914-1918: WW-I, MINOR eruption 1922: Wittgenstein: Tractatus Logicus Philosophicus
1940-1945: WWII, MINOR eruption 1953: Wittgenstein: Philosophical Investigations
1962: Thomas Kuhn: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
1964: Herbert Marcuse: One Dimensional Man (Flower Power)
1968: Lockerbee Crash
1979-1989: Russian Afghan War
1989: Fall Berlin Wall
19..: several Osama Bin Laden attacks
1995-20..: Israel Palestine Conflict
2001: Twin Tower attack
2001-2002: US Afghan War, several shocks
2003-20..: US Iraq occupation, a lot of shocks
Looking at the increasing frequency a social revolution is very near, and can be expected between
end 2004 and end 2010.It goes like shock.......shock......shock..shock.shock...sh.sh.ssssss. Better not wait for the BOOM!
.
Critical Theory in Present
Practicing critical thinking in present day circumstances:
| Any Mass Production is Addictive |
| The Mass Media Industry is much more 'dangerous' than the Tobacco Industry |
| To prevent a common prejudice: Not 'commodities' and 'consumption' are attacked, but mass-production and mass-consumption.
This criticism is not about the marxist notion 'class domination', but about VERY tricky processes that influence 'thoughts' of both individual and 'herd'. |
.
Living in the Nightmare 'US Empire'
What about ethics?
Western Society in the 21st became deeply individualistic.
The US shows agressive superiority behavior in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Don't ask what makes US soldiers act like cruel zombies, but what paradigm dreams extremely manipulate their moods. That gives a new meaning to 'living in a nightmare'.
The rational reality of power thinking shaped by Wall Street, City of London and major Central Banks
also for common sense US civilians is an extremely frightening myth.
'Rational thinking' proved to have almost no natural ethics.
The role of the media in The Western World is scaring, and really not essentially different from that in Nazi Germany.
The media were VERY understanding when the agressive US invaded the stuffed with oil country of Iraq.
| When realizing that Hitler came to power thanks to support and heavy sponsoring of corporate US,
that makes one wonder. American companies earned MANY millions extra during WWII. |
In 70 years US and European governments learned practically zero in ethical and cultural matters.
Peculiar subcultures.
free to copy, only please mention this article as reference.
.jpg)
Henk Tuten
This article is part of the series
