Plato's republic Quote by Theodor Wiesengrund Adorno Adorno Theodor Wiesengrund
““Aristotle's Politics is more humane than Plato's Republic, just as a quasi-bourgeois consciousness is more humane than a restorative one that, in order to impose itself upon a world already enlightened, prototypically becomes totalitarian. The goal of real praxis would be its own abolition. (Critical Models, p.267)””
About This Quote
Source Book: Critical Models, Theodor W. Adorno, 1963
Aristotle’s politics is more humane than Plato’s, and a quasi‑bourgeois consciousness is more humane than a restorative one that becomes totalitarian. Real praxis aims at its own abolition.
In simple terms: A critique of political systems and consciousness, advocating self‑abolition of power structures.
Key Takeaway
Question and dismantle oppressive structures.
Themes
political theory
philosophy
ethics
Mood
critical
philosophical
Type
Plato's republic:1
Bourgeois Consciousness:1
Humane Plato:0
Aristotle Politics:1
Politics Humane:0
Consciousness Humane:0
When to use this quote
- academic study
- political activism
- ethical reflection
Key Concepts
humanism
totalitarianism
self‑abolition
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “real praxis” mean today?
- Can abolition of power be achieved peacefully?
A Different Perspective
Complex language may limit accessibility.
![“While wading through the whimsies, the puerilities, and unintelligible jargon of this work [Plato's Republic], I laid it down often to ask myself how it could have been that the world should have so long consented to give reputation to such nonsense as this?” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c92/thomas-jefferson-43_asks_while-wading-through-the-whimsies-the-pu_2513325.jpg)
