This collection brings together essays by Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, and Herbert Marcuse, who were key members of the Frankfurt School for Social Research. Their multidisciplinary research on capitalist society led to the developing of critical theory, which is now an established field and research paradigm in political science, philosophy, sociology, literary and cultural studies.
By focusing on epistemology, ontology, and method, this text engages the reader with issues that are fundamental to the work of these thinkers. It introduces key questions that lie at the heart of critical theory, from reflections on the nature of reason and the assessment of the concepts of essence and truth to critiques of positivist methodology and limits of empiricism.
The focal point of the text makes it an essential resource for understanding and teaching critical theory. In addition, it provides easy access to key essays, most of which have been translated specifically for this volume. Subject and Object will interest anyone studying critical theory and the works of the Frankfurt School.
