POLS1009 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Frankfurt School, Antonio Gramsci, Erich Fromm
L11 CRITICAL THEORY
1. Introduction to Critical Theory
2. What is Critical Theory?
3. Main Critical Theorists
4. Sub-branches of Critical Theory
5. Positivism vs Critical Theory
6. Critical Theory Methods
7. What does Critical Theory research look like?
8. Limitations and Implications
Introduction to Critical Theory
- Critical theory is a social theory oriented toward critiquing and changing society as a whole.
- Traditional theory is oriented only to understanding or explaining it.
- Emerged out of the Marxist tradition.
- Developed by a group of sociologists at The Frankfurt School.
- Attempts to understand and critically unpack the relationship between knowledge and power.
- Dialectic thinking: sceptical of any approach which accepts the 'facts' as they are, without looking at
how they came to be.
HISTORY OF CRITICAL THEORY
- Critical Theory can be traced to Marx's critique of economy and society.
- Following Marx, György Lukács and Antonio Gramsci developed
theories that explored the cultural and ideological sides of
power and domination: e.g. idea of ‘cultural hegemony’
- Lukács and Gramsci critiqued social forces which prevented
peoples’ understanding of forms of structural power and
domination. E.g. Gransci idea of cultural hedaomogy.
- In 1923, Institute of Social Research was founded at the University of
Frankfurt.
- This is where Critical Theory came into being.
Frankfurt School
- A group of sociologists at the University of Frankfurt referred to themselves as ‘The Frankfurt School’.
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- This is where Critical Theory took shape.
- Main Critical Theorists from the Frankfurt School include: Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, Erich
Fromm, Walter Benjamin, Jürgen Habermas, and Herbert Marcuse.
- They focused on ideology and cultural forces as facilitators of domination and barriers to true
freedom.
- The Frankfurt School fled Nazi Germany to Geneva and then to New York.
- It was re-established in Frankfurt in 1953.
Overview of critical theory
Critical Theory must do two things:
1. It must account for society within a historical context
2. It should seek to offer a robust and holistic critique by incorporating insights from all social
sciences.
- It also must adequately explain the existing social problems.
-Critical Theorists:
oCondemn ‘traditional’ theorists for failing to question power, domination, and the status quo.
o Reject the notion of objectivity and ‘naïve’ conceptions of knowledge-impartiality.
- They argue that knowledge cannot be ‘objective’ as those who find such knowledge aren’t objective.
oKnowledge is a product of history and society and therefore cannot be objective.
oConcerned with the wider truth of what is the case.
oUse the word critical to ‘critique’ rather than criticism. More constructive criticism side. Aim to
move reality to where it ought to be. Question status quo. Wants to emancipate people.
MAIN CRITICAL THEORISTS
Michel Foucault
- A French philosopher and historian.
- His theories focused on relationship between knowledge and power.
- Though rejecting the labels of post-structuralism, his work is labelled as and inspired other post-
structuralists.
- His work also inspired a lot of feminist post-structuralists such as Judith Butler.
- ‘Power is everywhere’, diffused and embodied in discourse, knowledge and ‘regimes of truth’
(Foucault 1991)
oeveryone can hold power or be powerful.
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Document Summary
Introduction to critical theory: what is critical theory, main critical theorists, sub-branches of critical theory, positivism vs critical theory, critical theory methods, what does critical theory research look like, limitations and implications. Critical theory is a social theory oriented toward critiquing and changing society as a whole. Traditional theory is oriented only to understanding or explaining it. Developed by a group of sociologists at the frankfurt school. Attempts to understand and critically unpack the relationship between knowledge and power. Dialectic thinking: sceptical of any approach which accepts the "facts" as they are, without looking at how they came to be. Critical theory can be traced to marx"s critique of economy and society. developed sides of hegemony" prevented and. Following marx, gy rgy luk cs and antonio gramsci theories that explored the cultural and ideological power and domination: e. g. idea of cultural. Luk cs and gramsci critiqued social forces which peoples" understanding of forms of structural power domination.
