“Sehnsucht” (nostalgia): anatomia di un concetto nella Teoria critica di Max Horkheimer

The aim of this contribution is to analyze the theme of nostalgia (“Sehnsucht”) in the work of Max Horkheimer (1895-1973). This theme refers not only to a personal emotional state (“Stimmung”) but also serves as a lens for understanding both our era and the course of the world from a sociocultural perspective. In a broad analysis, nostalgia emerges as a defining feature of Horkheimer’s contributions to Critical Theory. It transcends mere occurrence and acts as an underlying sentiment that permeates all his analyses, from his early writings to his later works. Through a careful examination of Horkheimer’s texts (both published and unpublished) as well as secondary scholarly literature on the author, this essay aims to offer a particular interpretation of Critical Theory. In addressing thinkers like Paul Tillich and through a renewed engagement with Arthur Schopenhauer - referred to as Horkheimer’s Schopenhauer-Marxismus (Wiggershaus) - the Frankfurt School emphasizes the necessity for sociologists to adopt a “disenchanted” and “disillusioned” perspective. This viewpoint emerges against the backdrop of a dialogue among the sociological, theological, and ethical-political spheres, which has gained considerable interest in the latest generation of Critical Theory.