Abstract

In drawing out the relationship between German idealism and critical theory on the question of reason’s autonomy I will concentrate on Adorno’s criticisms of transcendental idealism as it is the most sustained and detailed discussion within the critical theory tradition of the autonomy of reason. These criticisms open up for Adorno the conceptual space within which a more inclusive account reason’s autonomy might be articulated. The next section of this paper will turn to that criticism and a consideration of the new theoretical direction that the critique seems to necessitate – the direction Adorno attempts – will follow.