Both Karl Marx and Theodor W. Adorno are Germany philosophers who made significant introspective examination of sociology and other significant studies that are of significant value to society. Karl Marx was born in 1818 in Trier, Germany. Marx schooled in Trier from 1830 to 1835 and he later went Bonn University where studied law. While at Bonn Marx had most of his time spent in running large debts in addition to socialization. Though majority of the people in his birth town were Catholics being of Jewish dialect, Marx chose to be a protestant. Marx later moved to Berlin University where his life took another angle in life as joined a student’s group by the name Young Hegelians. This was a radical group that had its duty being criticizing politics and religion.
Theodor W. Adorno was born in 1903 in Frankfurt Germany. Adorno attended Kaiser-Wilhelm Gymnasium and graduated at the age of seventeen. Adorno at his gymnasium classes proved to a talented and gifted student as graduated as the top student. Later, Adorno joined Frankfurt University where he studied sociology, philosophy, psychology and musicology. He studied musicology because of his mother’s influence as she was a singer at a Catholic church. Though Adorno was of Jewish origin, he changed from his parents Jewish Catholic faith to protestant faith (Adorno, 1997). This is a vital similarity between him and Karl Marx. The two also have a common account of having made their studies choices out of their parents influence. Karl Marx took law because he was influenced by his father who was a lawyer. Similarly, Adorno takes music as he was influenced by his mother who was a singer. The two also had an influential group which acted as their grounding collaborators and the drivers of their significant change in lifestyle. Karl Marx adopted Young Hegelians and Adorno had Walter Benjamin and his friend Max Horkheimer.
Karl Marx who after school got a job as magazine editor, wrote one of his famous journal that has been referred now and then, the Journal entitled “The Communist Manifesto”. This was an explanation of his believe on the problem that was emerging between the industrial working class (proletariat) and the wealthy middle class (bourgeoisie). Marx and his group the Communist league aimed at backing the overthrowing of the capitalist society by the working class and substitute it with socialism. During the publishing of the manifesto, there were riots and protests that lead the kicking out of Karl Marx out of Belgium. He went to France where he was deported but later moved to London where he spent the rest of his life. Karl Marx is thus alleged to be the founder of sociology as he made various contributions that enhance the study and development of sociology (Lanning, 2013). This can be true because every class or area of study that touches about sociology is associated with Karl Marx. Adorno account and legacy in sociology is out of his reflection of Marx work on sociology. Marx presented various ideas that are still holding up to now. Majority of theories that are currently holding are mostly based on the historic materialism and separation of classes.
Marx in his historic theory of materialism believed that human actions are driven by; gain of material things other than nationalism or faith. Therefore, human beings life is geared towards achievement of material things. Another aspect of Marx materialistic view is the theoretical view that human society exhibits a stage by stage advancement as old social classes are replaced by new ones (Marx, 1970). Karl Marx society in this case was structure into social classes. The industrial revolution which took effect during his times brought two social classes to the society; the machinery and the owners of the factories and the workers.
Karl Marx just like any other philosopher has his philosophical work resulting out influence from Adam Smith, Ludwig Fueurbach, Georg wilheim, Friedrich Hegel and others. Regardless of difference in views on whether Karl Marx was ha good or a bad man it will remain factual that he had a tremendous influence to the world and his sociological and economic views are referred to as “Marxism”.
Just as Karl, Adorno had to flea Germany and went to exile at New York City. This was during the Nazi era. While at New York he wrote several books but the “Dialectic of Enlightenment” was one of the significant writings that brought Adorno to fame. Adorno just like Marx was interested with the social life of his society. He led the critics of the Nazi regime where he became a significant person in “positivism dispute” in Germany.
Dialectic of Enlightenment is a collaboration writing of Adorno and his friend Horkheimer. This writing became one of the progressive European writing of its kind. The writing is a product of the experience of the two intellectuals in exile. The theme behind the book is similar to that of Karl Marx journal the communist manifesto as they both address the liberation of the oppressed. It also assumes Marx criticality social theory indebted to Marxism (Tarr, 2011). Adorno has his writing being influenced by earlier philosophers including Adam Smith and Karl Marx.
In conclusion, Marx and Adorno share a common origin and transitional life change in terms of religion and intellectual independence. However, the do differ in philosophical believes as Adorno criticizes Marxism theory of materialism but also come to consensus on philosophical description of aesthetic theory.
References
Adorno, T. W., & Horkheimer, M. (1997). Dialectic of enlightenment (Vol. 15). Verso.
Lanning, R. (2013). In the hotel abyss: An Hegelian-Marxist critique of Adorno.
Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1970). The german ideology (Vol. 1). International Publishers Co.
Tarr, Z., & Landmann, M. (2011). The Frankfurt School: The Critical Theories of Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno. Transaction Publishers.
