Camus and Adorno: The Struggle for Rebellion and Theory

This paper shows that Adorno and Camus can be read together. This does not imply that their theories can be reduced to the same premises, nor that they share the same goal, but rather that they intertwine. In this regard, the author focuses on the concepts of rebellion, revolution, solidarity, and ethics in Camus, and of praxis, theory, and activism (actionism) in Adorno. Understanding rebellion as something that, unlike revolution, has limits, the author draws parallels with the problem Adorno faced in the 1960s, namely the collapse of theory into new revolutionary thought. In other words, praxis that rejects theory or lynches it knows no limits, because theory turns out to be the guardian of freedom. In this respect, the article also highlights the key roles played by negative dialectics and the con­cept of jargon in Adorno’s project, while contrasting it with Camus’ proposal of an ethics of solidarity. Here, the relationship with the other is of essential importance. The paper goes on to raise the following questions: Does the relation with the other persist if theory is mocked and neglected in favor of absolute praxis? Does solidarity exist when the other is reduced to a means to an end? What does absolute praxis turn into?