Daily Philosophy

Max Horkheimer (1895-1973) was one of the founders of the Frankfurt School of Social Research, a colleague of Theodor Adorno and Walter Benjamin. This snippet is taken from an essay he wrote entitled "The Social Function of Philosophy:"

"The real social function of philosophy lies in its criticism
of what is prevalent. That does not mean superficial
fault-finding with individual ideas or conditions, as
though a philosopher were a crank. Nor does it mean
that the philosopher complains about this or that
isolated condition and suggests remedies. The chief
aim of such criticism is to prevent mankind from
losing itself in those ideas and activities which the
existing organization of society instills in its members.
Man must be made to see the relationship between
his activities and what is achieved thereby, between
his particular existence and the general life of
society, between his everyday projects and the
great ideas he acknowledges."