Vicious Circles: Disclosing a History of Critique

How can social critique respond to a catastrophic world? From Emerson to Adorno, a tradition of radical social critique has flourished that utilizes methods which disclose rather than judge the form of life: instead of trying to say what is wrong and what would be better, these criticisms seek to show how the world is false and to reveal how we might escape the vicious circles of present society—pointing out its catastrophic state and directing readers to the real possibilities for another ...