The Nature of Culture Industry and Technical Media from the Viewpoint of Critical Theory

The elaboration of culture industry by theodor W. Adorno and Max Horkheimer- co- authors of Dialektik der Aufklarung (Dixlectic of Enlightment) - is grounded on their account of how the identity – based instrumental reason of enlightenment (Aufklarung)، thought intended to secure freedom from fear of mythical authorities، could turn into the political، social and cultural totalitarian domination، depriving humans of their individual freedom and creativity and reifying both society and individuals. As Adorno and Horkheimer put، the culture producing media، thanks to technical mass reproduction، in the late capitalism، functions as pre- determining schematism of the whole cultural products through standardizing all varieties and diversities in such a way that obedience can be confused with freedom. Thus، in the system of exchange value، culture industry makes any object into commodity، whether being economical or cultural. This paper is a version of how Adorno and Horkheimer justify this disastrous suppression which through atomizing process levels down all humans and their tastes and creativities. Meanwhile، the essay has a brief critical assessment of this so called doctrine.