"Dialectic of Enlightenment" is a seminal philosophical work that explores the nature of enlightenment and its paradoxical relationship with the concept of reason. The authors argue that the Enlightenment's quest for knowledge, freedom, and autonomy has inadvertently led to the opposite: a form of domination and control through instrumental reason. They examine how the Enlightenment's rationality, once aimed at liberating individuals from myth and superstition, has devolved into a tool of oppression, giving rise to totalitarian systems and a culture industry that manipulates mass society. The book delves into various cultural artifacts, including literature, film, and popular culture, to illustrate how enlightenment has become self-destructive, ultimately questioning the possibility of true emancipation in a society governed by the very rationality that was supposed to set it free.

The 3177th greatest book of all time