Arendt and Adorno

The first comparative study of two of the most influential political philosophers and theorists of the twentieth century, Hannah Arendt and Theodor W. Adorno, this book reconstructs affinities and tensions between the two thinkers and shows their relevance for political theory and philosophy in our time. Hannah Arendt and Theodor W. Adorno, two of the most influential political philosophers and theorists of the twentieth century, were contemporaries with similar interests, backgrounds, and a shared experience of exile. Yet until now, no book has brought them together. In this first comparative study of their work, leading scholars discuss divergences, disclose surprising affinities, and find common ground between the two thinkers. This pioneering work recovers the relevance of Arendt and Adorno for contemporary political theory and philosophy and lays the foundation for a critical understanding of political modernity: from universalistic claims for political freedom to the abyss of genocidal politics.