Allegory as the force of enlightenment
The modernist philosophers were concerned with discerning the truth about the essence of the human life, but in the World Wars, public opinion swayed away from Modernism to the new existentially questioning schools of Logical Positivism and Post-Modernism. Right before that major regime change though, this book argued that it was myth that brought man to his full ethical potential, and therefore, allegory and narrative are the fundamental forces of enlightenment. Allegory in this case, simply means the acknowledgement that all stories have essential meaning that can be used for personal improvement.
Tyranny as the enemy of progress
By alluding to the symbology of ethical combat against a foe, the writers hope to capture the severity of their ideas, which seem philosophical in nature, but are really more like sociology. These ideas, if taken seriously, could help people to attain personal enlightenment, they feel. Tyranny is any force that would stop a person from finding the truth of human life, because once a person is enlightened, they are more likely to make serious accomplishments (leading to competition) and they are likely to notice injustice and solve it (leading to direct threat against the powers that be. So tyranny is the enemy of human development, because it seeks to keep the status quo.
Capitalism as tyranny
Tyranny is when someone uses their power not to serve the one's they are responsible for, but as a means for personal gain, often leading to the mistreatment of one's constituency, and the willingness to hurt others to preserve power. Adorno and Horkheimer argue that capitalism is an instance of tyranny, because capitalist powers have real power to change the world, to manipulate common ideas, and to perpetuate their own domination of the market.
The motif of industry, money, and vice
There is a system depicted through the motif of money, business influence, and vice. Vice can mean anything from 'indulging in appetites to the point of harming one's self or others,' all the way to 'intentionally using others and exploiting them for personal gain.' There is a serious connection between money, power, and the willingness to do evil, and the book discusses it at length.
The motif of systemic injustice
Here, systemic injustice means any kind of system that perpetuates the wrongful treatment of people. Adorno and Horkheimer claim in this work that there are many undiagnosed injustices, such as the deliberate manipulation of people to keep them weak, instead of helping them become fully developed and enlightened. They discuss at least three major perpetrators of this systemic mistreatment for power's sake: Government, Capitalism, and new schools of highly dubious philosophers that seem to be working against man's progress, in their opinions.
