The philosophy historian Wiggershaus presents a standard work on Critical Theory with this book. He introduces all significant publications from the beginning of the Institute for Social Research up to Adorno's death in 1969, highlighting their philosophical and social-theoretical programs and illustrating their integration into the various developmental stages of the institute's history. This results in a portrayal of the philosophical theories of leading figures such as Horkheimer, Adorno, Fromm, Pollock, Löwenthal, Marcuse, and Benjamin, as well as many external interlocutors.