The Critique of modern society by Horkheimer, Adorno and Marcuse

The thinkers of the Frankfurt School criticize the fundamental principles of Enlightenment thought, emphasizing that this philosophy has transformed into a myth in itself. While the Enlightenment initially aimed to rationally question myths and legends, over time, reason became instrumentalized and began to take a uniform form under the dominance of the human sciences. Therefore, the Frankfurt School's critique of Enlightenment thought focuses on the control and homogenization that science imposes on humanity. Prominent thinkers of the Frankfurt School include Max Horkheimer (1895– 1973), Theodor W. Adorno (1903–1969), and Herbert Marcuse (1898–1979). Although these thinkers often produced ideas on similar subjects, there is no complete consensus among them. However, their shared characteristic is their 'critical' stance. The criticisms of the Enlightenment made by Horkheimer, Adorno, and Marcuse gradually evolved into a critical theory. In our thesis, the critique of the Enlightenment is used interchangeably with the critique of modern society. The thesis will not encompass all representatives of the Frankfurt School but will be limited to Adorno, Horkheimer, and Marcuse. Furthermore, the focus will be on their critiques of the Enlightenment and modern society, specifically within the framework of their works Minima Moralia, Eclipse Of Reason and OneDimensional Man. Since the existing literature has not addressed these works comprehensively, our study aims to provide an in-depth examination of the concepts of Enlightenment and modern society, as well as the criticisms made from the Frankfurt School perspective. In a time when issues such as the capacity of reason to solve everything, science's ability to resolve all problems, and the belief that individuality will bring happiness are being discussed, revisiting these issues may contribute to the understanding of the fundamental problems of modern humanity.