Abstract

This paper articulates the similarities and differences between Adorno's and Dewey's aesthetics, showing the way in which these theories juxtapose real art against other forms of cultural expression which, in their duplication and strengthening of existing modes of culture, may be seen as progressively closing off the possibilities for the realization of true democracy or (what may be the same thing) the end of alienation. The paper distinguishes between art and propaganda and argues that, despite obvious differences between their philosophies taken as a whole, they are not so far apart in their aesthetic judgments of what the art object is and what effect it has or may have on individuals and society.