Critical Theory
Sam Kniknie


Beyond Marx
•Marx’ predictions à not true
•Revolution in Russia
•Capitalism was/is not overthrown
•Marx = useless?

Frankfurter Schule
•Founded in the 1930s in Frankfurt, Germany
•Max Horkheimer, Theodor Wiesengrund Adorno, Walter Benjamin & Herbert Marcuse
•Critique on Western, capitalist society
•Enlightment did not result in human emancipation (Fascism, Stalinism)

Basics of Critical Theory
•Combines the ideas of Marx, Weber and Hegel
•Economic determinism à cultural determinism
•Interdisciplinarity
•4 critiques
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Criticism of economic determinism
•Economic determinism in Marx’s original work & followers
•Not whole story
•Interaction between ‘superstructure’ and ‘base’
•Gramsci
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Criticism of positivism
•≈ critique on economic determinism
•Human sciences ≠ natural sciences
•Loses sight on human actors
•Conservative: no attention for change
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Criticism of sociology in general
•Conservative science
•Legitimates status quo of society
•Should help creating a ‘just and humane society’
•Sociology as a political instrument
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Criticism of culture industry
•Critique on mass media
•Commodification of media
•Driven by profit, money
•Conformism
•Stupifies people
•False feeling of individualism
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Criticism of culture industry
•≈ knowledge industry
•Commodification of knowledge
•Universities become companies?
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Critiques on Critical Theory
•A-historical
•Not enough attention for economy
•Bourgeois idealism
•Too ideological?

Questions
•Can a university be objective and independent in its research when it goes to stock exchange?
•Is sociology conservative and does it approve for the status quo of society? Should it take a
progressive role and fight for emancipation?
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