David Riesman and Critical Theory - Autonomy Instead of Emancipation (Paperback, 1st ed. 2021)

Although David Riesman wrote over half a century ago, his concept of autonomy as presented in The Lonely Crowd (1950) speaks directly to the intellectual and emotional disarrangements of the twenty-first century. The current malaise produced by the excesses of commodity culture, information technology, the hyperreal, and "fake news" militate against our ability to think critically about contemporary society. And while postmodern authors insist that this bewildering situation weakens and assails our critical thinking skills, Riesman's notion of autonomy refuses to capitulate to such a somber interpretation. Rather, he is convinced that individuals have the intellectual and emotional mettle to think for themselves and not be drawn into the demands of a commercialized culture and a commodity-driven lifestyle. As we pick and choose the terms of our engagement, we can remain aloof from society's engulfing influence and preserve the oppositional thinking needed for democracy. To illustrate this point most clearly, this book puts Riesman into conversation with the writings of Theodor Adorno, whose evaluation of the critical faculty's ability to withstand "the culture industry" is famously pessimistic.

General

Imprint:	Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Country of origin:	Switzerland
Release date:	August 2022
First published:	2021
Authors:	Amirhosein Khandizaji • Mary Caputi
Dimensions:	210 x 148mm (L x W)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	160
Edition:	1st ed. 2021
ISBN-13:	978-3-03-078871-1
Categories:	Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Interdisciplinary studies > Cultural studies > General Books > Humanities > History > American history > General Books > Humanities > Philosophy > Western philosophy > General Books > History > American history > General Books > Philosophy > Western philosophy > General
LSN:	3-03-078871-7
Barcode:	9783030788711

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!