An unfinished work, whose completion was thwarted by the sudden death of the author, Aesthetic Theory illuminates the multifaceted relationships between art, society, history, language, worship, and technique.

In this text, which Adorno considered one of his most important, there is a fully developed dense web of philosophical reflections, sociological observations, and political positions, centered around aesthetics: recognizing the roots of art in social life while also defending its autonomy from it.

Subversive criticism of established aesthetic categories of the beautiful, form, content, imitation, harmony, and unity. A denunciation of the cultural industry, but also a caution against deceptive forms of avant-garde, questioning every attempt to restore the traditional, and fervent support for modern art, as realized in the works of unique creators such as Proust, Beckett, Steinberg, Klee, or Celan.

Adorno intended to use a saying by Schlegel as the motto of the book: "What is called the philosophy of art usually lacks one of the two: either philosophy or art." Aesthetic Theory is the fruit of this unexpected encounter.