Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate the concept of «natural history» developed by Theodor W. Adorno in the beginning of his philosophical reflection. In general, I will focus on the conference "The Idea of Natural History", given by Adorno in 1932. At first, I will stress the philosophical background of the concept of natural history and, in particular, I will focus on the relationship between Adorno's comprehension of history and its ontological elaboration. Secondly, I will examine the birth of the concept of natural history in connection with Marxist and Hegelian reflection. At the end, I will scrutinize the 1932 conference by showing in which terms the category of «natural history» is able to define the most basic lines of the future development of Adorno's thought.