Negative Normativity: On the Actuality of Adorno’s Idea of Natural History for Critical Theory and Ecopolitics

Social theory has been a source of critical and normative tools for environmental thought, and the critical theory of society is no exception. This dissertation examines the enduring relevance of Adorno’s idea of natural history for contemporary critical theory of nature and ecopolitical debates. By reconstructing its materialist and normative dimensions, the dissertation demonstrates how this framework provides a crucial perspective for rethinking social theory in the context of ecological crisis, one that moves beyond narrowly intersubjective approaches to engage with the mediated relationship between humanity and nature. Furthermore, it explores the implications of this idea for current ecopolitical debates.