The course of German philosophy in the twentieth century is one of the most exciting, diverse and controversial periods in the history of human thought. It is widely studied and its legacy hotly contested. In this outstanding introduction, Julian Young explains and assesses the two dominant traditions in modern German philosophy – critical theory and phenomenology – by examining the following key thinkers and topics: * * Max Weber’s setting the agenda for modern German philosophy: the ‘rationalization’ and ‘disenchantment’ of modernity resulting in ‘loss of freedom’ and ‘loss of meaning’ * Horkheimer and Adorno: rationalization and the ‘culture industry’ * Habermas’ defence of Enlightenment rationalization, the ‘unfinished project of modernity’ * Marcuse: a Freud-based vision of a repression-free utopia * Husserl: overcoming the ‘crisis of humanity’ through phenomenology * Early Heidegger’s existential phenomenology: ‘authenticity’ as loyalty to ‘heritage’ * Gadamer and ‘fusion of
