The relevance of the Bewußtseins-Industrie to the essayistic oeuvre of Hans Magnus Enzensberger

Abstract

English: With an interest in issues relating to the role of literature in the socio-political context, Hans Magnus Enzensberger uses the Bewußtseins-Industrie in many of his texts as an analytical construct to describe the way in which society functions. This becomes evident particularly in essays in which he deals directly with social aspects. In both his poetics and his creative work this problematic issue is often present too. The purpose of this essay is to trace succinctly the roots of Enzensberger’s Bewußtseins-Industrie to some aspects of the Kulturindustrie of Theodor W Adorno, and then to describe the key position which this notion occupies in his essayistic oeuvre.

Afrikaans: As iemand wat hom bemoei met vrae rondom die rol van literatuur in die sosiopolitieke konteks, maak skrywer Hans Magnus Enzensberger in verskeie tekste gebruik van die Bewußtseins-Industrie as analitiese konstruk ten einde die wyse waarop die maatskappy funksioneer, te beskryf. Dit word veral sigbaar in essays waarin maatskaplike aspekte direk aangespreek word, maar ook in sy poëtika en kreatiewe werk is die teenwoordigheid van hierdie problematiek dikwels sigbaar. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om vlugtig die wortels van Enzensberger se Bewußtseins-Industrie in aspekte van die Kulturindustrie van Theodor W Adorno na te spoor, en vervolgens die sentrale posisie wat dit in sy essayistiese oeuvre inneem, te beskryf.