Georg Gangl
@ggangl.bsky.social
Philosopher of historiography @centrephilohistory.bsky.social. Likes narrative, evidence and evidence-based narrative. Versucht, "auch einmal auf dem Kopfe zu gehen" (Hegel).
https://philpeople.org/profiles/georg-gangl
https://philpeople.org/profiles/georg-gangl
Thanks, Anna! I know this text by Uebel, a very interesting read.
If you are further interested in the relationship between Critical Theory and the Vienna Circle, I can recommend the work of Andreas Vrahimis; for instance this text: philpapers.org/rec/VRASSP.
If you are further interested in the relationship between Critical Theory and the Vienna Circle, I can recommend the work of Andreas Vrahimis; for instance this text: philpapers.org/rec/VRASSP.
Andreas Vrahimis, Scientism, Social Praxis, and overcoming Metaphysics: A debate between Logical Empiricism and the Frankfurt School - PhilPapers
During the 1930s, while both movements were fleeing from persecution by the Nazis, the Vienna Circle and the Frankfurt School planned to collaborate. The plan failed, and in its stead Horkheimer ...
philpapers.org
November 13, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Thanks, Anna! I know this text by Uebel, a very interesting read.
If you are further interested in the relationship between Critical Theory and the Vienna Circle, I can recommend the work of Andreas Vrahimis; for instance this text: philpapers.org/rec/VRASSP.
If you are further interested in the relationship between Critical Theory and the Vienna Circle, I can recommend the work of Andreas Vrahimis; for instance this text: philpapers.org/rec/VRASSP.
P.S. I wrote about Adorno's notion of totality in relation to Leon Goldstein's philosophy of history here before: x.com/GanglGeorg/s....
Georg Gangl on X: "Recently, I voiced my astonishment on here about Leon Goldstein approvingly quoting Adorno in one of his papers from 1977. Now, a week after A.'s 120th birthday, it’s time to look in more detail at what he had to say and how it relates to both Goldstein and historiography. (1/19) https://t.co/QysyHAa6vj" / X
Recently, I voiced my astonishment on here about Leon Goldstein approvingly quoting Adorno in one of his papers from 1977. Now, a week after A.'s 120th birthday, it’s time to look in more detail at what he had to say and how it relates to both Goldstein and historiography. (1/19) https://t.co/QysyHAa6vj
x.com
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
P.S. I wrote about Adorno's notion of totality in relation to Leon Goldstein's philosophy of history here before: x.com/GanglGeorg/s....
The disagreement with Neurath therefore arguably runs deep, despite shared left-wing commitments. Next to well-known questions of justification, it also concerns such central concepts as society and history.(28/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
The disagreement with Neurath therefore arguably runs deep, despite shared left-wing commitments. Next to well-known questions of justification, it also concerns such central concepts as society and history.(28/28)
which in itself contains speculative elements. It is from this theory that Adorno deduces the main characteristics of Spengler’s framework and it is this theory that determines his normative standpoint—his understanding of "what is possible" and what is the only effective remedy to Spengler. (27/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
which in itself contains speculative elements. It is from this theory that Adorno deduces the main characteristics of Spengler’s framework and it is this theory that determines his normative standpoint—his understanding of "what is possible" and what is the only effective remedy to Spengler. (27/28)
communist utopia—about the way to which Adorno has nothing to say—and Neurath engaged in most of them as people’s educator throughout his life. Adorno’s critique of Spengler is underpinned by a specific theory of society as (capitalist) totality and a theory of history and its development,...(26/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
communist utopia—about the way to which Adorno has nothing to say—and Neurath engaged in most of them as people’s educator throughout his life. Adorno’s critique of Spengler is underpinned by a specific theory of society as (capitalist) totality and a theory of history and its development,...(26/28)
Personally, I think Adorno overstates the “impotence” of intellectual criticism in the key of Neurath and others. Also, there are of course many other more practical activities to educate the people and inoculate them against all kinds of myths and irrational ideas short of establishing...(25/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Personally, I think Adorno overstates the “impotence” of intellectual criticism in the key of Neurath and others. Also, there are of course many other more practical activities to educate the people and inoculate them against all kinds of myths and irrational ideas short of establishing...(25/28)
remedy for destructive histomyths à la Spengler, then they are here to stay. Today, we seem to be not much closer to the establishment of the communist utopia that Adorno envisioned than in the 1940s. The problem of how to effectively counter them in the here and now thus remains. (24/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
remedy for destructive histomyths à la Spengler, then they are here to stay. Today, we seem to be not much closer to the establishment of the communist utopia that Adorno envisioned than in the 1940s. The problem of how to effectively counter them in the here and now thus remains. (24/28)
consciously and rationally plans its interaction with nature. This, then, is Adorno’s “utopia” that he evokes in the last sentence of his text, in the face of the unprecedented demise of human culture brought forth by the Nazis, WWII, and the Holocaust. Now, if this is the only effective...(23/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
consciously and rationally plans its interaction with nature. This, then, is Adorno’s “utopia” that he evokes in the last sentence of his text, in the face of the unprecedented demise of human culture brought forth by the Nazis, WWII, and the Holocaust. Now, if this is the only effective...(23/28)
would mean historically overcoming the ‘point of view of actual history’”, which remains under the spell of power and domination. In other words, effectively countering Spengler means for Adorno the “end of prehistory of human society” (Marx); a state in which humanity as a whole...(22/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
would mean historically overcoming the ‘point of view of actual history’”, which remains under the spell of power and domination. In other words, effectively countering Spengler means for Adorno the “end of prehistory of human society” (Marx); a state in which humanity as a whole...(22/28)
materialism. Given this theory of society and its historical development, the only really effective counter for destructive mythologies such as Spengler’s is the abolishment of all relationships of domination and with that humanity’s “second nature”. Adorno writes: “opposition to Spengler...(21/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
materialism. Given this theory of society and its historical development, the only really effective counter for destructive mythologies such as Spengler’s is the abolishment of all relationships of domination and with that humanity’s “second nature”. Adorno writes: “opposition to Spengler...(21/28)
themselves and by that they execute the total character of modern society. The foundation of this repressive totality is “human interaction with nature” which up to a certain point necessitated domination and which has become “second nature”. This is Adorno’s version of (historical)... (20/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
themselves and by that they execute the total character of modern society. The foundation of this repressive totality is “human interaction with nature” which up to a certain point necessitated domination and which has become “second nature”. This is Adorno’s version of (historical)... (20/28)
a ‘totality’ which does not allow any freedom of the individual item”. It is this social totality which subsumes everything under itself and which produces the total character of Spengler’s concepts of culture, soul, and such. These concepts (wrongly) subsume everything particular under...(19/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
a ‘totality’ which does not allow any freedom of the individual item”. It is this social totality which subsumes everything under itself and which produces the total character of Spengler’s concepts of culture, soul, and such. These concepts (wrongly) subsume everything particular under...(19/28)
of history. Reminiscent of Marx, Adorno claims that history up to now has consisted of “relationships of domination”. Spengler’s theory is an expression of this domination, and as such it contains an “element of truth”. “Each historical society up to now”, so Adorno, “tends to crystallize...(18/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
of history. Reminiscent of Marx, Adorno claims that history up to now has consisted of “relationships of domination”. Spengler’s theory is an expression of this domination, and as such it contains an “element of truth”. “Each historical society up to now”, so Adorno, “tends to crystallize...(18/28)
on these issues since he shares the cognitive and enlightenment values that underpin this position and also the socialist political commitments. I think, the difference lies “in essence”, in Adorno’s theory of society—his understanding of society as a historical totality—and his concept...(17/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
on these issues since he shares the cognitive and enlightenment values that underpin this position and also the socialist political commitments. I think, the difference lies “in essence”, in Adorno’s theory of society—his understanding of society as a historical totality—and his concept...(17/28)
culture, “the renunciation of conscious self-determination” and agency. History thus seems deterministic in a way that it is in fact not; it performs the function of ideology, obfuscating actual power relations and forms of domination. I suppose there would be no objection from Neurath...(16/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
culture, “the renunciation of conscious self-determination” and agency. History thus seems deterministic in a way that it is in fact not; it performs the function of ideology, obfuscating actual power relations and forms of domination. I suppose there would be no objection from Neurath...(16/28)
due to his commitment to the verification principle. In the actual criticism of Spengler, there is not that much of a difference between Neurath and Adorno though. Adorno sees in Spengler’s “metaphysics of souldom”, the conceptual centrepiece of his speculative philosophy of history and...(15/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
due to his commitment to the verification principle. In the actual criticism of Spengler, there is not that much of a difference between Neurath and Adorno though. Adorno sees in Spengler’s “metaphysics of souldom”, the conceptual centrepiece of his speculative philosophy of history and...(15/28)
normativity, and their (historical) relationship. After all, a “positivist” such as Neurath was a committed socialist too; he did not just worship facts. What he did not share was Adorno’s emphatic understanding of society and totality and the underpinning (negative) philosophy of history...(14/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
normativity, and their (historical) relationship. After all, a “positivist” such as Neurath was a committed socialist too; he did not just worship facts. What he did not share was Adorno’s emphatic understanding of society and totality and the underpinning (negative) philosophy of history...(14/28)
same time, i.e. “The Latest Attack on Metaphysics”.) It is difficult to assess this tendentious criticism. It reads a bit like a petitio principii, , i.e. Adorno complaining that the positivists do not share his assessment of what is possible and his understanding of society, history,...(13/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
same time, i.e. “The Latest Attack on Metaphysics”.) It is difficult to assess this tendentious criticism. It reads a bit like a petitio principii, , i.e. Adorno complaining that the positivists do not share his assessment of what is possible and his understanding of society, history,...(13/28)
Adorno claims that both Spengler and the positivists follow “the cult of the ‘fact’” and that they share a “hatred of any thinking that takes the possible seriously as against the actual”. (One is reminded here of Horkheimer’s “hit piece” on the “positivists” that was written around the...(12/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Adorno claims that both Spengler and the positivists follow “the cult of the ‘fact’” and that they share a “hatred of any thinking that takes the possible seriously as against the actual”. (One is reminded here of Horkheimer’s “hit piece” on the “positivists” that was written around the...(12/28)
able to get to this essence. Adorno concedes that the “positivists”—i.e. Neurath among others—have mounted an appropriate intellectual critique of Spengler’s speculative philosophy. Yet, they also share some characteristics of Spengler's thought that render their criticism ineffectual. (11/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
able to get to this essence. Adorno concedes that the “positivists”—i.e. Neurath among others—have mounted an appropriate intellectual critique of Spengler’s speculative philosophy. Yet, they also share some characteristics of Spengler's thought that render their criticism ineffectual. (11/28)
Spengler sees these surface changes clearly and he condemns them just as Adorno does, but he does not understand their causes. He remains at the level of appearances without penetrating to their essence, in the Hegelian terminology that Critical Theory also adopted. Neither is “positivism”...(10/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Spengler sees these surface changes clearly and he condemns them just as Adorno does, but he does not understand their causes. He remains at the level of appearances without penetrating to their essence, in the Hegelian terminology that Critical Theory also adopted. Neither is “positivism”...(10/28)
i.e. Hitler; and the emergence of what Critical Theory called around that time “state capitalism”, i.e. the abolition of the market and competition by the (totalitarian) state. In Adorno’s parlance, these developments mark the elimination of both thinking and spontaneity in an emphatic sense. (9/28)
November 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
i.e. Hitler; and the emergence of what Critical Theory called around that time “state capitalism”, i.e. the abolition of the market and competition by the (totalitarian) state. In Adorno’s parlance, these developments mark the elimination of both thinking and spontaneity in an emphatic sense. (9/28)