Abstract

VON HASELBERG: In what sense can we speak of adequate consciousness? Adequate, that is, in relation to the time in which we live. Indeed, to what degree can we define or discuss consciousness apart from empirical subjects — regardless of whether we have naive subjects in mind or subjects as formulated by philosophy?

ADORNO: There is something which might be called a historical drive within the movement of things. For their part, even subjects are conditioned by this historical drive and a true cognition of the situation depends on a proper consideration of this conditioning. This formulation is a bit of a generalization, and we should have to engage in extremely extensive epistemological considerations — in which we cannot possibly involve ourselves here — to make a truly concrete statement.