Theodor W. Adorno: Ethical Concerns in the Aftermath of Auschwitz

In this study, it is claimed that Theodor W. Adorno, instead of formulating a normative ethics theory, developed a critical rejection of ethical theories by adopting a negating perspective. The crucial point supporting this claim is the tragic experience of the Auschwitz event. Auschwitz, as Agamben suggests, is the gray zone where victim and executioner resemble each other; it is the annihilation of humanity and the most severe manifestation of moral destruction. “Auschwitz,” going beyond being a mere geographical location of genocide, is evaluated as a moral devastation caused by the prescriptions laid out by teachings of good life on how one should live. The fact that this devastation and the conditions that brought it about still persist leads to a belief in the closure of ethical and righteous living under current circumstances. The elements that drive Adorno towards this belief include late capitalism, the notion of instrumental reason, the imperative of the cultural industry imposing “conformity,” and the prevailing bourgeois trend characterized by coldness and indifference. These interconnected elements not only contribute to the decay in the moral realm but also lead to disruptions in all aspects of life. Despite the intense crisis of the era, Adorno's critical philosophy, by not allowing submission, speaks of a negative categorical imperative that focuses on “what not to do” to prevent disasters like Auschwitz from recurring. The new negative categorical imperative, which does not allow rational grounding, departs from concrete suffering, unlike Kant’s categorical imperative. In this sense, Adorno’s mentioned new categorical imperative, rather than forming an ethical theory, critically examines the validity of universal principles and ethical consequences.