Adorno Flashcards
premise 1
under capitalism people tend not to give presents
“we are forgetting how to give presents”
people only do what passes for present giving and not what is genuinely present giving
tend not to - alienation imposes upon them ie money and time constraints
premise 2
under capitalism people prefer not to give presents
one does not want to give presents because one does not know what to give/does not want to expend energy
ie “gift articles”
premise 3
under these conditions, people freeze
“freezing” - tend and prefer not to
recipients freeze - denied goods and relationship that would make lives sig and enoyable
donors freeze - genuine present giving abilities “wither…in the isolated cell of pure inwardness”
retaining depends on exercising which depends on opp for “live contact” - not giving removes opp so cant exercise
main conclusion
under capitalism people freeze
capitalism presents itself as not dividing, depriving of denying life of value
but people do not realise not the case as not overtly divisive
submit to practices and promote alienation
describe adornos pre premises
alienation not overtly divisive - subtly undercuts attempts to be genuinely self aware
adorno offers small scale analysis of how cap manifests itself to provide knowledge and desire and overthrow
what is genuine present giving
expend time think of other as a "subject" act on "human impulse" show "good grace" "find joy in imagining the reciever" "violate exchange principles" "go out of ones way"
how does adorno suggest people give presents under capitalism
treat as object reciever think it is a trick administer to charity adhere to prescribed budget put in least possible effort - at very best give something would like yourself
describe adornos explanation of gift articles as not wanting to give presents (premise 2)
lack desire to find something the reciever would like (think of subject, expend time, find joy in reciever)
“if you dont want it its all the same to me”
do not care to make effort or show care that did not put in any effort
why odes adorno use a small scale analysis
to show how capitalism is subtle in real life ways
cap make believe acting in true interests therefore not motivates to change and will not undermine
must enlighten by emancipation
what does adorno mean by enlightenment
small scale anaylsis allow to understand how we are deluded and alienated
what does adorno mean by emancipation
enlightenment of situation means appreciate bad choices and come to desire what is actually good for us - rev
how does adornos small scale analysis on present giving serve to enlighten and emancipate
show what we should be doing and what we actually do
understand how we are alienated
desire genuine present giving
how doe adorno bridge the gap
marx couldnt due to lack of knowledge or lack of belief/desire
small scale analysis alows situation to be applicable to real life and not merely theoretical and therefore convince of reality of situation - get knowledge and desire
what is philosophies role in adornos analysis
philosophy diagnoses alienation as fundamentally a problem of knowledge - false beliefs and mech
BUT unlike marx adorno believes this to be correct
dividedness due to false beliefs
need to aquire genuine self awareness and desire to change and enegage in active self realisation
