Messianic thinking in the jewish intelligentia of the twenties

That theological themes, particularly those stemming from the Jewish tradition, have left their mark in the thought patterns of the Frankfurt School had become clear by the last interviews of Max Horkheimer at the latest or, failing that, by the time the more recent literature on Walter Benjamin saw the light of publishing day. Whether, however, these theological trace elements should be regarded as mere conceptual ballast, or whether they are rather to be seen as integral systemic components, remains controversial at this point of time. Perhaps understandably, though, are fears voiced by the odd social scientist who owes an inspirational debt or two to the Critical Theory - fears to the effect that attempts to seize on and play up whatever theological motivations may have been at work here are purchased at the price of reneging on social commitments, of indulging in woolly thinking and empty platitudes, of seeking refuge in meaningless affirmation. It is feared, in other words, that licensing a theological interpretation of the Critical Theory would be tantamount to robbing it of its best credentials: namely, the strict negation of existing social relationships. On the other hand, the Critical Theory?s own commitment to freedom, justice and openness is sometimes adduced against what is felt to be an all too onesided ?socialization? of its import. Thus M. Theunissen writes: ?If, then, the methodical stance informing the Critical Theory is essentially anticipatory and experimental - scrutinizing the Christian notion of freedom for its social realizability, so to speak - then we may assume that this attempt to write a philosophy of history not only proceeded from a theological impulse as a matter of fact, but indeed could only have been written from the vantage point of such an impulse? (M.Theunissen, 1981, p.39). Whether or not the Critical Theory is really informed by theological motivations or here is only being decked out in borrowed robes, cannot be dismissed as a mere question of taste or of perspective; rather it must be regarded as a problem which should be capable of resolution by recourse to the received methodology of hermeneutics in the Arts and social sciences - i.e. through attempting to reconstruct the context of origin of the theory, by assiduously running to earth whatever relevant utterances are recorded in the literature, by investigating what systematic use the said motivational themes are put to, etc. A detailed investigation of the theological stance implicit in the Critical Theory would require a full-scale study in its own right. In the following remarks I will confine myself to delineating the intellectual historical background of Messianic motivational themes in the thinking of Jewish intellectuals of the twenties. Here I will be drawing heavily on extant anecdotal material.

Eine der wichtigsten Wurzeln der - erst später so genannten - Kritischen Theorie liegt im jüdischen Messianismus. In den 20er Jahren dieses Jahrhunderts, als M. Horkheimer, Th. W. Adorno, W. Benjamin, L. Löwenthal, E. Fromm, H. Marcuse und andere Vertreter der jüdischen Intelligenz ihre geistige Prägung erfuhren, entwickelten sie auf der persönlichen Ebene eine Protesthaltung gegen die kommerzielle Gesinnung ihrer Vätergeneration, der auf sozialem und politischem Gebiet eine gegen den Kapitalismus gerichtete Gesellschaftsauffassung entsprach. Das messianische Denken fand in Franz Rosenzweigs Stern der Erlösung (1921) seinen literarischen Ausdruck und in der Gründung des Jüdischen Lehrhauses in Frankfurt (1920) eine organisatorische Plattform. Sein Einfluß spielt bei der Entwicklung der Kritischen Theorie insofern die Rolle eines Katalysators, als in ihm der gegenwärtige Weltzustand als erlösungsbedürftig dargestellt wird und die Zukunft - im Gegensatz zur idealistischen Geschichtsphilosophie- durch einen radikalen Bruch von Vergangenheit und Gegenwart getrennt erscheint. Der vorliegende Beitrag geht vor allem den verborgenen messianisch-theologischen Motiven bei Benjamin und Adorno nach; er befaßt sich aber auch mit entsprechenden Denkansätzen bei Löwenthal und Fromm, die von einer - vor allem durch Nehemia Nobel vermittelten - stärkeren Hinwendung zur jüdischen Tradition geprägt sind.