The Frankfurt School of Critical Theory - Introduction to Theory of Literature

Explore the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory in this 52-minute lecture from Yale University's "Introduction to Theory of Literature" course. Delve into the theoretical writings of Theodor Adorno and Walter Benjamin, examining their ideas in historical and political contexts, including Marxism, socialist realism, and late capitalism. Understand the concept of mechanical reproduction and its relationship to labor and art. Analyze Adorno's opposition to this argument and his own position. Investigate Benjamin's perspective on using distraction and shock in aesthetic revelation. Cover key topics such as Marx and Engels' ideology, the aesthetics of Marxist criticism, Adorno's views on art and collectivity, Bloch's Principle of Hope, and the role of the spectator in Benjamin's theory.