One key difference between Adorno and many sociologists of his, as well as our, time is his unwavering refusal to ‘ban’ the concept of society ‘as a philosophical relic’ (S 145). Society, Adorno concedes, is not a thing outside or above humans. Society consists of social relations produced by, and operating between, individuals. Yet society consists of social relations between individuals. These relations have developed properties which are irreducible to the attributes of the sum of individuals entangled in them. Since it is thus impossible to grasp society by turning to its isolated constituents, the concept of society as a relational category referring to relations between humans is sociologically necessary (IS 33–4, 38–9). The following outline of Adorno's concept of society frames his vision for sociological examinations of society in respect of sociology's ‘double character’. On the basis of these considerations, Adorno's vision for sociology can be explored in more depth with regards to the problem of selecting appropriate sociological research phenomena and through initial clarification of their interpretation.

Society as a sociological problem

Adorno conceptualises contemporary society in view of its constituent social relations. He also highlights three key aspects of society – social estrangement, social dependence and social integration – and their interconnections. ‘Interconnections’ is taken literally here: for Adorno, social science can no longer establish causal hierarchies, but must investigate how society's various aspects affect each other.