Abstract
According to Adorno, “identity thinking” is the predominant mode of thinking in modern society. In this mode, the “subject” controls “others” through “instrumental reason”. Adorno claims that the modern form of violence derives from the subject's mastery over the “object”. Adorno defends the “non-identity thinking” and “non-identifiable” thing against “identity thinking”. From this perspective, Adorno criticizes “positivism” in which “concepts” retain control over “objects.” On the other hand, Adorno emphasizes that the “concept” has potentiality to grasp the essence of “non-identifiable” thing. There can be no thinking without conceptions. The purpose of this paper is to consider the dualism of Adorno's thesis on the “concept”. While the concept is the “object” of criticalness, it is also the “medium” of thinking in critical theory. I would analyze Adorno's argument about the “concept” and examine his ambiguous attitude toward “modern reason”.
