Abstract:

Taking the document bibliography included by ISI Web of Knowledge as the data sample, this paper uses bibliometrics and visualization methods to analyse the core academic thinking, overall evolution, important stage of development and representative scholars of the Frankfort School. Conclusions are as flows. The core academic thinking of the Frankfort School is critical theory. The three important stages of the Frankfort School are founded stage(1930s to early 1940s), stage of development and prosperity(early 1940s to early 1970s ) and turning stage(early 1970s to the late 1980s). The founder of the Frankfort School is Horkheimer. The representative scholars of the second stage are Adorno and Marcuse. And Habermas is representative scholar of the third stage of the Frankfort School.

Key words: Frankfort School, Development history;　Visualization;　Knowledge map;　Philosophical schools research