In view of the untrustworthiness of observation and its factual data, Adorno makes an insistent case for their theoretical analysis. Theoretical analysis, like empirical research, is therefore a key theme in his reflections on sociology. It is also a major issue in contemporary social science debates. What distinguishes Adorno's writings on theoretical interpretation in sociological inquiry is that they question sociology's ability to offer conclusions on social life. Theoretical analysis constitutes another site for Adorno's negotiations of disciplinary boundaries. His sociologico-methodological ideas for theoretical interpretation draw heavily on epistemological considerations, while these epistemological arguments are usually forced to address sociological questions. This makes some criss-crossing between discrete areas unavoidable, especially in the first half of this chapter.

Theoretical analysis in sociology

Adorno's ideas for theoretical social analysis can be elucidated in three steps. First, the limitations of factual material must be clarified. The previous chapter repeatedly stated, without explaining, Adorno's caveat that empirical observations cannot adequately represent reality. Thus the role of theory and its mode of procedure in response to those limitations come into view, along with the problems and potentials Adorno's sociology develops in its theoretical dimension.