Important Article on the Origins Of Critical Theory in the Frankfurt School

submitted by AFutureConcern from self.debatealtright

https://newdiscourses.com/tftw-critical-theory/

The impact of Critical Theory ("critical" in the sense of critiquing white Western civilization) on modern discourse has been immense. Today you have major institutions pushing ideas which can be traced back to the "Institute for Social Research", better known as the Frankfurt School. Critical Race Theory underpins the "Black Lives Matter" movement, which is supported by most major institutions. Critical Pedagogy underpins our educational system, which brainwashes our teachers and students into a "critical consciousness". Queer Theory underpins LGBTQ movements which have an entire month dedicated to them, in addition to a flag that international corporations wear with pride.

Important figures in the Frankfurt School were

  • Herbert Marcuse (Jewish)
  • Max Horkheimer (Jewish)
  • Theodor W. Adorno (father was Jewish)
  • György Lukács (married a wealthy Jew)

Questions for s/debatealtright users:

  • Have I overstated or understated the impact of the Frankfurt School?
  • Are these really the most important figures in the (pre-)development of Critical Race Theory and Queer Theory?
  • Is the fact that the major figures of the Frankfurt School were Jewish just a coincidence (driven by selection bias)?
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[–]The_Ded 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Frankfurt School is indeed one of the centerpieces of so-called critical theory (along with French postmodernism of Foucault, Derrida and the likes). Your list of the School's main figures is fairly good; however, I would add in Jurgen Habermas, Franz Neumann and Friedrich Pollock (yeah, all Jewish).

[–]ChancellorMershekel 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I have heard before that none of the (at least, the prominent) second-generation Frankfurt School were Jewish—including Habermas. Actually, he is probably the only well known one who isn't. Another major one of Jewish extraction is the Freudian psychologist Erich Fromm, who supposedly had a big part to play in the early first-generation, but was practically ostracized and written out of its history after having fell afoul of its major figures.

Only the first and second generations had any real influence. The third and fourth generations aren't that far off of being unknown, and are mostly liberal-progressive rather than radical.

[–]paranoid_android3 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I assume you've read Culture of Critique?

[–]AFutureConcern[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I actually haven't; I've listened to interviews with Kevin MacDonald, though. My feeling is that evolutionary explanations of behavior are always somewhat ad-hoc, and while they may be a good guess they are not easily proved, and as such are easily dismissed by social constructivist scholars (whose own assumptions are even more farcical but have the distinction of being the null hypothesis of left-biased science). Great that it's published online though, I wasn't actually aware of this, so thanks.

[–]paranoid_android3 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

You should read it before continuing this line of questioning, IMO, because he addresses your questions in detail and is a serious academic, not some anon.

[–]asterias 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

There are links to Sabbatai Zevi through the Frankists.