A Study On Lowenthal's Popular Culture Though

Leo Lowenthal is an important figure in the Frankfurt School.His thoughts on mass culture enrich the critical theory of mass culture.Lowenthal's thoughts on popular culture are mainly concentrated in the book ?Literature,Popular Culture and Society?.Taking literature as the starting point,he distinguishes between literature as art and literature as popular commodity,and objectively analyzes mass culture from the dual dimensions of criticism and affirmation.Lowenthal jumps out of the frame of critical theory and give sympathy to the public and the media.His position of both criticism and defense shows a broader vision of space and a deeper historical depth.Through the comparative analysis of Lowenthal and representative figures of Frankfurt school,Elitist school,Birmingham school and Postmodernist school,this paper shows Lowenthal's thought of popular culture comprehensively.Both inside and outside the school,Lowenthal has shown his distinctive views and perspectives on popular culture.He paid attention to literariness and historicity and advocated literary interpretation in the context of social history.At the same time,he absorbed the empirical research methods of the United States,showing an open attitude and stance.It is undeniable that Lowenthal's criticism of mass culture has some defects and shortcomings,such as wavering attitude and deviation in view,but his analysis of mass idols can still provide some reference for the development of Chinese mass culture.