Abstract

The Authoritarian Personality is perhaps the most idiosyncratic of Adorno's major works. An attempt to merge US social science research methods with European theoretical and philosophical analysis, the book attempts to explain the personality traits that might lead individuals to be seduced by authoritarian ideals. Although influential and widely debated at the time of its publication, The Authoritarian Personality 's reputation has since waned. However, with the reemergence of pseudo‐conservative politics and the 2016 election of Donald Trump, scholars, journalists, and writers are beginning to reclaim The Authoritarian Personality as a potent analysis of an ongoing fascination with antidemocratic beliefs.