The Origins of Totalitarianism Viewed by First Generation of Critical Theorists

The goal of the thesis is analysis of the origin of the totalitarian system in the work of Theodor Adorno, Erich Fromm, Max Horkheimer, and Herbert Marcuse, as representatives of the theoretical framework of critical theory. The analysis is carried out both in terms of the individual - the text works with the researches of the authors working with the concept of the authoritarian character - and in the analysis of societal factors leading to an undemocratic systém using texts following the philosophy of history. Work explores the overall context of the operating of selected authors, because the situation, during which the first generation of critical theorists formed their works was an important factor which influenced their thinking. The findings from selected studies include the fact that people with lower social status are more susceptible to tend towards a totalitarian system with strong authoritarian elements. Results from two different research one before the war and postwar one show that propensity for undemocratic system is rife. Texts dedicated to the philosophy of history show that modern capitalism and enlightened society elements are leading to totalitarianism. The authors leave this topic after their return to Frankfurt to a renewed Institute for Social Research