Dialectic of Enlightenment (1944) - A history of thought and the argument that the Enlightenment has been unsuccessful in freeing humanity.
Philosophy of New Music (1949) - An analysis of avant-garde music and what how it reflects modern society.
The Authoritarian Personality (1950) - A diagnosis of the psychology that leads one toward fascism and authoritarianism. It introduces an F-Scale that determines fascist leaning depending on a set of personality traits.
Minima Moralia: Reflections from Damaged Life (1951) - A series of aphorisms that display the alienation and loneliness of a late capitalist, fascist, and commodified society.
Essay on Wagner (1952) - An analysis of Wagner, both musically and personally, with special consideration to Wagner’s politics and ideology as reflected in his music.
Against epistemology (1956) - An argument against traditional western epistemology, especially foundationalism, idealism, and Husserl’s phenomenology.
An Introduction to Dialectics (1958) - A critique of Hegel and Marx’s dialectics and an early theory of Negative Dialectics.
Mahler: A Musical Physiognomy (1960) - An analysis of the music of Gustav Mahler with critical theory.
Three Studies on Hegel (1963) - A reinterpretation of Hegel with critical theory, especially in terms of his negative dialectics.
Jargon of authenticity (1964) - A critique of the style of language used and jargon by German existentialists, especially Heidegger and his followers.
Negative Dialectics (1966) - A critique of traditional Hegelian dialectics, and how many concepts in western philosophy can be reinterpreted in the lens of negative dialectics.
Aesthetic Theory (1970 / Posthumous) - An analysis of art in modernity and under late capitalism
The Culture Industry (1991 / Posthumous) - Arguments on how mass culture, especially in art, film, and radio, destroys individuality.
Beethoven: The Philosophy of Music (1997 / Posthumous) - An analysis of Beethoven with critical theory.
Introduction to Sociology (1999 / Posthumous) - An introduction to critical theory, the culture industry, and the sociology of the Frankfurt School.
Dream Notes (2007 / Posthumous) - A collection of dream diaries from the last 25 years of Adorno’s life.
Notes to Literature (2019 / Posthumous) - A series of essays pertaining to literature and art, analyzing Balzac, Proust, Goethe, and many more with critical theory.
