Theodor W. Adorno (1903–1969) and the Critique of Identity Thinking: The Great Acceleration as Historical Sedimentation

Abstract

This chapter situates Adornos critique of identity thinking (1966) in relation to the development of the Great Acceleration. We first establish the theoretical context of Adorno’s critique of identity thinking with specific focus on his philosophy of history, concept of mediation, and the ways in which the shift toward a specifically negative dialectics is tied to Adorno’s attempt to discern the problem of freedom in his time. Against this theoretical background, the latter half of the chapter illustrates Adorno’s critique as a critical reflection on the social context of the 1960s in order to advance a critical, self-reflexive understanding of contemporary environmentalism.