Rationality, body and suffering: the School of Frankfurt contributions to historically (re)think the body

Abstract

This paper aims to approach the
contributions of some classic
authors of the Frankfurt School –
especially Theodor W. Adorno and
Max Horkheimer – in order to rethink
the several and varied forms of
control and education of the body in
modern society. It will discuss the
following aspects: 1) the body, even
before being a repository of
rationality, it is already an
indispensable part and influences the
whole process of production of
rationality and subjectivity, and 2) the
manners of educating and exercising
the body (and its Pedagogies) not
only suffer the influence of human
rationality and of the way human
beings produce knowledge to supply
their needs, but historically and
socially build up the modes of
dealing with the body. These modes
also frame and reinforce different
kinds of subjectivity, either dignified
or depreciated.