Written by Horkheimer and Adorno in exile, the Dialectic of Enlightenment investigates the failure of human liberation and the erection of new forms of domination. This seminal text of critical theory is presented here for the first time in an edition with commentary that analyzes each section of the work. The authors also situate the work in its theoretical context (Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Freud) and examine the history of its impact.