Abstract
This paper discusses the conception of ideology and the critique of ideology in Horkheimer's critical theory, focusing on his critique of Mannheim's theory and his essays about ideology. Horkheimer objects to Mannheim saying that he “generalized” the conception of ideology and “formally” applied social determination to every perception. According to Horkheimer, ideology is judged not by its social determinations but by its social functions. And so, in Horkheimer's critique of ideology, the most important point is the social functions of ideology.
