The Spell of Authority: On Adorno's Political Philosophy of the Bann
Abstract
This paper presents an interpretation of the concept of Bann (commonly translated as “spell”) in Theodor W. Adorno’s work. Although rarely discussed, the concept of Bann is central for Adorno’s philosophy and appears in all his major writings. Through the inquiry of the origins of the concept, the paper presents how the word Bann articulates the “legal” and the “magical” dimensions of authority (not only political, but also epistemological authority). The constellation of political meanings of Bann enables an interpretation of Adorno that contests the usual de-politicized reading of his work. Finally, the paper shows how Adorno’s aesthetic theory is an attempt of providing how it is possible to escape the Bann.
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