This translation was created in 2005 by Dennis Redmond and is reproduced for non-commercial, educational purposes only. The original German text is available from Suhrkamp Verlag: Theodor W. Adorno. Collected Works. Suhrkamp Verlag, Volume 4. <u>Translator's notes</u>: The existing English translation of Minima Moralia, by E.P. Jephcott, is good, but stylistically somewhat dated. The goal of this version is to render the pungency and power of the original text in contemporary prose (the alternative is teaching the intricacies of mid-20th century academic English to 21st century students). I have tried to highlight certain theoretical passages and motifs which aren't quite as explicit in Jephcott's version (e.g. aufgehoben is rendered as sublation, instead of Jephcott's preservation). Where necessary, I have also changed the sexist language of the original, replacing "he" with either "they" or ''one'' and added additional explanations of Latin and French terms. Above all, I have tried to do some small amount of justice to the poetry, musicality and beauty of Adorno's language, which is inextricably interwoven with Adorno's theoretical innovations. In the midst of the most cataclysmic war of human history, Adornos prose radiates the promise of a happiness beyond catastrophe: a happiness which the total system, to this day, denies its constituent members, simply because it is this catastrophe. <u>Also note</u>: Students, readers, scholars and teachers should feel free to quote or cite this translation in papers, classes, or creative projects. There are no royalties to worry about: this translation is a free public service to all.
Description:
This translation was created in 2005 by Dennis Redmond and is reproduced for non-commercial, educational purposes only. The original German text is available from Suhrkamp Verlag: Theodor W. Adorno. Collected Works. Suhrkamp Verlag, Volume 4. <u>Translator's notes</u>: The existing English translation of Minima Moralia, by E.P. Jephcott, is good, but stylistically somewhat dated. The goal of this version is to render the pungency and power of the original text in contemporary prose (the alternative is teaching the intricacies of mid-20th century academic English to 21st century students). I have tried to highlight certain theoretical passages and motifs which aren't quite as explicit in Jephcott's version (e.g. aufgehoben is rendered as sublation, instead of Jephcott's preservation). Where necessary, I have also changed the sexist language of the original, replacing "he" with either "they" or ''one'' and added additional explanations of Latin and French terms. Above all, I have tried to do some small amount of justice to the poetry, musicality and beauty of Adorno's language, which is inextricably interwoven with Adorno's theoretical innovations. In the midst of the most cataclysmic war of human history, Adornos prose radiates the promise of a happiness beyond catastrophe: a happiness which the total system, to this day, denies its constituent members, simply because it is this catastrophe. <u>Also note</u>: Students, readers, scholars and teachers should feel free to quote or cite this translation in papers, classes, or creative projects. There are no royalties to worry about: this translation is a free public service to all.