西方藝術從19世紀開始強調「藝術的自律性」。藝術的自律性意指：藝術的發展與存在應以對於美與藝術自身的追求為主，而非為了藝術之外的因素，例如宗教儀式、政治宣傳或商業利益。這個論點指出了藝術家創造的自由以及藝術作品存在的客觀獨立性。對於藝術自律性的強調一直是阿多諾美學與藝術哲學的核心。然而，有學者對於藝術自律性的普遍適用性以及阿多諾對它的堅持有所質疑。本文嘗試指出：阿多諾對於藝術自律性的堅持，其實並不只是一種形式上的要求，而是和他的哲學立場相關，更和他對於啟蒙的批判以及人性的宣揚緊密結合。

“Autonomy of art” is emphasized in Western art since nineteenth century. The autonomy of art means: The development and existence of art should aim at beauty and art itself and not at the factors external to it, e.g. religious rituals, political propagandas or commercial profits. This thesis indicates artist’s freedom of creation and the objective independence of the existence of art work. The emphasis on the autonomy of art is always the core of Adorno’s aesthetics and philosophy of art. Some scholars, however, doubt the universalizability of this claim and Adorno’s insistence on it. This paper tries to indicate: Adorno’s claim on the autonomy of art, however, is not just a formal demand, but related to his philosophical stance, critique of Enlightenment and the promotion of humanity.