Page "Theodor W. Adorno" Paragraph 18

Their joint work completed, the two turned their attention to studies on anti-semitism and authoritarianism in collaboration with the Nevitt Sanford-led Public Opinion Study Group and the American Jewish Committee.

In line with these studies, Adorno produced an analysis of the Californian radio preacher Martin Luther Thomas.

Fascist propaganda of this sort, Adorno wrote, " simply takes people for what they are: genuine children of today ’ s standardized mass culture who have been robbed to a great extent of their autonomy and spontaneity " The result of these labors, the 1950 study The Authoritarian Personality was pioneering in its combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of collecting and evaluating data as well as its development of the F-scale.

After the USA entered the war in 1941, the situation of the émigrés, now classed " enemy aliens " became increasingly precarious as government measures turned from anti-Nazism to anti-communism.

Forbidden from leaving their homes between 8pm and 6am and prohibited from going more than five miles from their houses, émigrés like Adorno, who would not be naturalized until November 1943, were severely restricted in their movements.

In addition to the aphorisms which conclude Dialectic of Enlightenment, Adorno put together a collection of aphorisms in honor of Horkheimer ’ s fiftieth birthday that would later be published as Minima Moralia: Reflections from Damaged Life.

These fragmentary writings, inspired by a renewed reading of Nietzsche, treated issues like emigration, totalitarianism and individuality, as well as everyday matters such as giving presents, dwelling and the impossibility of love.

In California, Adorno made the acquaintance of Charlie Chaplin and became friends with Fritz Lang and Hanns Eisler, with whom he completed a study of film music in 1944.

In this study, the authors pushed for the greater usage of avant-garde music in film, urging that music be used to supplement, not simply accompany, the visual aspect of films.

Additionally, Adorno assisted Thomas Mann on his novel Doctor Faustus after the latter asked for his help.

“ Would you be willing ," Mann wrote, " to think through with me how the work-I mean Leverkuhn ’ s work-might look ; how you would do it if you were in league with the Devil ?” At the end of October 1949, Adorno left America for Europe just as The Authoritarian Personality was being published.

Before his return, Adorno had not only reached an agreement with a Tübingen publisher to print an expanded version of Philosophy of New Music, but completed two compositions: Four Songs for Voice and Piano by Stefan George, op. 7, and Three Choruses for Female Voices from the Poems of Theodor Daubler, op.

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