Table Of ContentA Critical Theory of Global Justice
A Critical Theory
of Global Justice
The Frankfurt School and World Society
MALTE FRØSLEE IBSEN
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Acknowledgements
Writingthisbookhasbeenafantasticvoyage.Ithasspannedtenyearsofmylife,in
whichIhavehadtheprivilegeofcallingFrankfurt,Berlin,NewYork,andCopen-
hagenmyintellectualandphysicalhome.Lookingbacknow,itiscleartomethat
theimpetusforwritingthisbookisultimatelyrootedinthehistoricalexperienceof
the2008financialcrisis,whichnotonlysentshockwavesthroughtheglobalecon-
omybutalsorattledmeoutmyowndogmaticslumber,rippingoffmypersonal
veilofignorancetoexposetheirrationalityandunreasonablenessofthisworldof
financializedglobalcapitalism.Thebookwasfinishedamidstanewglobalcrisis,
theCOVID-19pandemic.Tome,bothoftheseglobalcrisisexperienceshaveonly
servedtoaccentuatetheacuterelevanceandimportanceofthebook’sundertaking.
Ihopeothersmayfeelthesameway.
Many travel companions have joined me on this voyage, more than I can
remember, and many of whom have contributed in crucial ways to my intellec-
tualjourneyandthelifeofthisbook.Thebookbeganasadoctoraldissertationat
theGoetheUniversita¨tFrankfurt,writtenunderthesupervisionofRainerForst
andAxelHonneth.RainerhasbeenatrueDoktorvater intheemphaticsenseof
thatGermanword.HebelievedintheprojectfromthefirsttimeImethimata
conferenceinLondon,andhehasofferedinvaluableintellectualguidance,friend-
ship,andsupportthroughoutthewholeprocess—ashehascontinuedtodoafterI
leftFrankfurtin2016.Thisexpressionofgratitudeseemswoefullyinsufficient,but
Iofferitnonetheless.AxelHonnethnotonlyofferedhisunsurpassedknowledge
intotheFrankfurtSchooltraditionofcriticaltheoryduringsupervisioninFrank-
furt,butalsokindlyextendedaninvitationtothePhilosophyFacultyatColumbia
University in the fall semester of 2016, where our long talks proved immensely
helpful for the subsequent comprehensive reworking of the dissertation into a
bookmanuscript.IalsowanttothankJu¨rgenHabermas,whoonseveraloccasions
inHeidelbergandFrankfurttooktimetodiscussthedissertationwithme—and
offer anecdotes about Adorno. He remains, in many ways, my great intellectual
hero,andIamgratefulfortheprivilegeofpersonallyexperiencingthemagnetic
auraofourgreatestEuropeanthinkerandintellectual,alivingembodimentofthe
postwarhistoryofWesternphilosophy.
Imustextendaspecialdebtofloveandgratitudetothreedearfriendsandintel-
lectualtravelcompanions,whohavemadeaninestimablemarkonmythinking
since our Oxford days—Theresa Clasen, Jeffrey Howard, and Tobias Berger—
as well as to Anders Dahl Sørensen, who has been the closest of friends, a
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii
non-metaphorical travel companion, and an intellectual interlocutor since high
school.IamalsogratefultotheoldFrankfurtcrowd,especiallyJohannesSchulz,
Dorothea Ga¨deke, Julian Culp, Arvi-Antti Sa¨rkela¨, Casper Mo¨lck, Esther Lea
Neuhann,MariusPiwonka,PhilippSchink,TamaraJugov,FedericaGregoratto,
DarrelMollendorf,MartinSaar,ThomasBiebricher,andTitusStahl,forintellec-
tualstimulusandfriendshipalike.
I thank Neal Carrier, Navid Pourgazi, Despina Potari, Matteo Garavoglia,
ChristianSchemmel,DavidAxelsen,DitteMariaBrassoSørensen,RuneMøller
Stahl,SiriRanvaHjelmJacobsen,TiagoRito,PoyaPakzad,andEmilyHertzfor
helpingme,invariousways,alongtheway.IalsothankChristianRostbølland
Lars Tønder, who read and commented on parts of the book manuscript and
offered helpful advice on publication. Emma Holten has become a dear friend
andcomrade,whoreadandcommentedontheentiremanuscript—tak!Dominic
ByattatOxfordUniversityPresshasbeenthekindofeditoryouhopeforbutdon’t
dareexpect.Ithankhimforhisenthusiasticsupportfortheprojectandforhisgra-
ciousandprofessionalsheepherdingofthisbooktopublication.Ialsothanktwo
anonymousrefereesforOxfordUniversityPress,whoseprescientcriticismsvastly
improvedthemanuscript.
Iadmittosometimeshavingfearedthatthisfantasticvoyagewouldturntoero-
sionandnevergetold—toparaphrasethegreatDavidBowie.Thefactthatithas
cometolifeisnosmallpartduetotheunwaveringloveandsupportofmyfamily:
mysisterSiriandmymumanddad,Anne-MetteandBjarne.Alongthisbook’s
journey,Iexperiencedthesecularmiracleofbecomingafathermyself,firsttomy
daughterFridaandsubsequentlytomysonFinn. Frida’sandFinn’spresencein
thisworldandfutureontheplanethasgivenaconcretemeaningtothefearsand
hopesembodiedinthiswork.Finally,mygreatestdebtofgratitude:Foryourlove
andcompanionshipinlifeandletters,foryourunyieldingsupportandsacrifice
inallowingmethespacetoworkendlesshoursonthisproject,forhavinggifted
meourtosmåmuler,foryourforgivenessofmyfaults.Thisbookisforyou.
Contents
Introduction 1
0.1 ABourgeoningWorldSociety 1
0.2 TheContradictionsofCriticalTheory 3
0.3 TheIdeaofaCriticalTheory 6
0.3.1 TheHistoricalDimension 7
0.3.2 TheSociologicalDimension 10
0.3.3 TheNormativeDimension 12
0.3.4 ThePracticalCriterionofValidity 14
0.4 AnOutlineoftheBook 17
PART I. HORKHEIMER
1. MaxHorkheimerandtheOriginalParadigmofCritical
Theory 27
1.1 StagesintheProjectofaCriticalTheoryofSociety 27
1.1.1 MaterialismandIdeologiekritik 30
1.1.2 TraditionalTheoryandCriticalTheory 35
1.2 Marx,Lukács,andtheMaterialistPhilosophyofHistory 40
1.2.1 HistoricalMaterialism 40
1.2.2 LukácsandtheTheoryofReification 42
1.2.3 Lukács’sTheoryofClassConsciousness 45
1.2.4 ClassConsciousnessasanEmpiricalProblem 46
1.3 StructuralTransformationsinCapitalismandClass
Consciousness 47
1.3.1 MonopolyCapitalism 48
1.3.2 Freudo-MarxismandtheRiseofFascism 51
1.4 CriticalTheoryandBourgeoisMorality 56
1.4.1 AReasonableSociety 56
1.4.2 ACriticalTheoryofJustice 61
2. Horkheimer’sOriginalParadigmandtheIdeaofaCritical
TheoryofWorldSociety 66
2.1 ‘Existingcapitalistsociety,whichhasspreadalloverthe
worldfromEuropeandforwhichthetheoryisdeclared
valid’ 66
