1968 in an Expanded Field: The Frankfurt School and the Uneven Course of History

Lecture by Prof. Martin Jay (University of California, Berkeley), 17.01.2019

In this lecture, Martin Jay aims at conceptualizing 1968 and 1967 – in particular the Six Days War in the Middle East – together in a constellation that includes 1945 and the present. Addressing the frequent criticism of the Frankfurt School for not taking into account anti-imperialist and post-colonial struggles, it questions attempts to make up for Critical Theory’s alleged „political deficit“ by turning to the Third World or Global South for inspiration. Without offering a serious analysis of the troubling legacy of the Six Days War, it tentatively ponders the implications of the Frankfurt School’s anxiety for the survival of Israel.

Presented by:
Cluster of Excellence „The Formation of Normative Orders“