Theodor Adorno

Theodor Adorno, born Theodor Ludwig Wiesengrund, was a German philosopher who, along with Max Horkheimer, essentially invented the term 'critical theory' – which, depending on your perspective, either means insightful analysis of societal structures or an academic justification for complaining a lot. His Jewish origins were undeniable, with a Jewish father and a Catholic mother of Corsican descent, which perhaps explains his complex relationship with identity. After all, if anyone could synthesize disparate elements, it was Adorno.

Exiled from Nazi Germany, Adorno found his way to the United States, where he briefly engaged with American mass culture before recoiling in academic horror, famously dubbing it the