This course examines the social and political thought of the Frankfurt School and Habermas. After looking briefly at the history of the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt, the first part examines major themes of the Frankfurt School's brand of critical theory including: the critique of Marxism; Weber and the rationalization of society; psychoanalysis and politics; art and the 'culture industry'. Works of Adorno, Horkheimer and Marcuse will be discussed. The second part looks at Jürgen Habermas's influential reformulation of critical theory, his account of knowledge and human interests and theory of communicative rationality.

After successful completion of this course, students should:

• Demonstrate knowledge of central thinkers of the Frankfurt School including Habermas.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the intellectual and historical background of the ideas of Frankfurt School thinkers.
• Demonstrate knowledge of major aspects of the ‘critical theory' of the Frankfurt School, including their understanding of history, art and the culture industry, psychoanalysis, societal modernisation and rationalisation.
• Continue to develop strong oral presentation, research, writing, critical and analytical skills.

Essay (45%), second assignment (45%) and tutorial work (10%).

Students will be expected to spend an average of seven hours per week in addition to three contact hours (two hours of lectures, one hour tutorial) in order to prepare for tutorials, conduct research and write the written assignments as well as to prepare for the final examination.

Lectures will be taped and notes will be available on the web.

Two first-year courses in Political Science, or Sociology, or Philosophy or with the permission of the lecturer.

West, D. An Introduction to Continental Philosophy, 1996.

Held, D. Introduction to Critical Theory, 1980.