Towards a New Manifesto
Towards a New Manifesto shows the two philosophers in a uniquely spirited and free-flowing exchange of ideas. This book is a record of their discussions over three weeks in the spring of 1956, recorded with a view to the production of a contemporary version of The Communist Manifesto. A philosophical jam-session in which the two thinkers improvise freely, often wildly, on central themes of their work—theory and practice, labor and leisure, domination and freedom—in a political register found nowhere else in their writing. Amid a careening flux of arguments, aphorisms and asides, in which the trenchant alternates with the reckless, the playful with the ingenuous, positions are swapped and contradictions unheeded, without any compulsion for consistency.
A thrilling example of philosophy in action and a compelling map of a possible passage to a new world.
Hardback, 128 pages
ISBN: 9781844678198
October 2011
$14.95 / £9.99 / $18.50CAN
Other Editions
Ebook, 128 pages
ISBN: 9781844678945
October 2011
$9.99
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Part of the Pocket Communism series
Blog
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Have Yourself a Merry Little Frankfurt School Christmas
Recently launched by the self-styled "sporting outfitters of intellectual distinction" aka Philosophy Football, comes their Adorno football t- shirt. Here was a philosopher who knew all about the necessity to endure defeat in order to truly enjoy the moment of victory.Philosophy Football have five of the t-shirts to be won in the December competition and one lucky winner will also receive a set of Verso titles by iconic names from, and inspired by, the Frankfurt School.
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COMPETITION: Win Verso's Five Titles by Adorno!
To celebrate Theodor Adorno's 109th birthday on September 11th, we have a competition! There are three sets to giveaway of all the Adorno titles published by Verso: Quasi Una Fantasia, Minima Moralia, In Search of Wagner, Aesthetics and Politics and Towards a New Manifesto.
Thanks to everyone who took part and congratulations to our winners who can look forward to some stimulating reading. The answers to the questions are below.
Q1. Minima Moralia derives its title from a work by which philosopher?A: Aristotle
Q.2 In what text was the term "culture industry" first coined?
A: The Dialectic of Enlightenment.The winners will be the first three people to answer both questions correctly. Those in North America, email verso@versobooks.com. For the rest of the world, including the UK, email enquiries@verso.co.uk. Please put ADORNO COMPETITION in the subject line or your entry may not be counted. The winners will be announced on Tuesday 11th September.
Please do not post the answers in the Comments or Facebook, Twitter or anywhere else—entries accepted by email only. Any comments posting the answers will be deleted.Good luck!
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Martin Jay on 'Towards a New Manifesto'
In a recent contribution to the Notre Dame Philosophical Review, Martin Jay reflected on Towards a New Manifesto, the lengthy exchange between Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer, which Verso published last fall. The dialogue, which went on for several days in the mid 1950s and was initially transcribed by Adorno's wife Gretel, today stands as a fascinating document that touches on a wide range of issues central to Adorno and Horkheimer and to the broader trajectory of critical theory. As Jay notes in his review, the publication of this exchange offers rare insight into the thought processes of these two leading members of the Frankfurt School, veering from the highly abstract to the urgently concrete, and registering the live intellectual development of some of the ideas whose later evolution ended up being so decisive for the course of critical social, political and philosophical thought in the second half of the 20th century.
Discussions
Begin a discussion about this book-
'Twitter' a 'creative' communist manifesto, and win some books?
Oh dear, dear. I mean, what? Don't you think you are trivialising, not to mention commercialising, things?
Ah, but you have an argument. To wit: 'In the book, Adorno notes that “we live in the society we criticize.” Furthermore, in the twenty-first century, we also tweet in the society we criticize. Thus to launch the book, we are pleased to announce a brand-new twitter competition challenging you to tweet a #manifesto for a communism for the twenty-first century.' What kind of an inference is that, though? I also take baths within the society I criticise (well, for a certain sense of 'within'); so should we have a communist bathing competition? Perhaps you can spell out what you mean. -
Who translated this book, and why is the translator's name omitted from the cover, from your description on this site, and from your promotional materials? Are you ashamed of his/her work?
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What is the German source for this? Is this in Adorno or Horkheimer's collected works? A Suhrkamp publication? Archival? Or is there a recording? I'd like to read or hear this in German.BTW: Livingstone is an excellent, excellent translator.
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'Twitter' a 'creative' communist manifesto, and win some books?
Oh dear, dear. I mean, what? Don't you think you are trivialising, not to mention commercialising, things?
Ah, but you have an argument. To wit: 'In the book, Adorno notes that “we live in the society we criticize.” Furthermore, in the twenty-first century, we also tweet in the society we criticize. Thus to launch the book, we are pleased to announce a brand-new twitter competition challenging you to tweet a #manifesto for a communism for the twenty-first century.' What kind of an inference is that, though? I also take baths within the society I criticise (well, for a certain sense of 'within'); so should we have a communist bathing competition? Perhaps you can spell out what you mean. -
Who translated this book, and why is the translator's name omitted from the cover, from your description on this site, and from your promotional materials? Are you ashamed of his/her work?
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What is the German source for this? Is this in Adorno or Horkheimer's collected works? A Suhrkamp publication? Archival? Or is there a recording? I'd like to read or hear this in German.BTW: Livingstone is an excellent, excellent translator.
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'Twitter' a 'creative' communist manifesto, and win some books?
Oh dear, dear. I mean, what? Don't you think you are trivialising, not to mention commercialising, things?
Ah, but you have an argument. To wit: 'In the book, Adorno notes that “we live in the society we criticize.” Furthermore, in the twenty-first century, we also tweet in the society we criticize. Thus to launch the book, we are pleased to announce a brand-new twitter competition challenging you to tweet a #manifesto for a communism for the twenty-first century.' What kind of an inference is that, though? I also take baths within the society I criticise (well, for a certain sense of 'within'); so should we have a communist bathing competition? Perhaps you can spell out what you mean. -
Who translated this book, and why is the translator's name omitted from the cover, from your description on this site, and from your promotional materials? Are you ashamed of his/her work?
-
What is the German source for this? Is this in Adorno or Horkheimer's collected works? A Suhrkamp publication? Archival? Or is there a recording? I'd like to read or hear this in German.BTW: Livingstone is an excellent, excellent translator.
