Frankfurt School and Positivism?
1- What is the distinctive aspect of Frankfurt School from Positivism?1-Link between subject of the research and the researcher (different to that of Positivism)
2-Opposing the theory of Science free of value (different to that of Positivism)
3-The concept of social order (different to that of Positivism)
2- What is the distinctive aspect of Frankfurt School from Marxism?
a-Dialectical Concept, proposing the negative dialectic (different to that of Marxism), and emphasis on social integrity(priority of the whole to the constructing elements) This idea involves both synchronous and asynchronous elements. Synchronous elements drive us forward according to the mutual relations of society’s components within the framework of contemporary totality.
But asynchronous elements lead us to historical roots of the modern society as well as the way to take in the future. (Ritzer, 1386: 208)
b-Historical view: pre-industrial, 19th century capitalist and today’s society (different to that of Marxism)
c-The emphasis on human beings instead of workers of the industrial community (different to that of Marxism)
d-Social facilities (different to that of Marxism)
f-The concept of state: According to the scholars of the Frankfurt School, especially Habermas Marx’s theory is out of date. (different to that of Marxism)
g-Changing the focus of control from economy to culture: the focal point of the thoughts of scholars in the critical school is based on the modern society
According to these scholars contrary to what Marx’s beliefs, culture is the center of authority in modern societies, and not economics. In other words, repression due to formal rationality has replaced economic colonialism. Moreover, the critical school has accepted Webber’s formal and substantial rationality in the following way:
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Webber Critical School
Formal rationality Technocratic thinking with the aim of helping authoritarian elements
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Substantial rationality wisdom, evaluating equipments in terms of teleology. Human values are justice and peace
Final evaluation: despite formal rationality, the modern society is full of irrationality (Ibid: 202)
3-Frankfurt’s approach to the future:
Marx’s critical analysis of capitalism, had lead him to be hopeful of the future. But many critical theorists have taken a desperate position. They do not consider modern world problems as being exclusively capitalist. Rather, they are common across the rational world, including socialist societies. Such theorists, in the same Weberian sense, view future as an “iron cage” that takes on more rational structures and there’s no escape from it (ibid: 204)