¿Qué es la TEORÍA CRÍTICA? Origen histórico, características y autores representativos

Summary

Critical theory, developed by the Frankfurt School in the 1930s, challenges positivist approaches and explores the social influences on knowledge and individual relations with society. Rooted in Marxism, it critiques capitalism, totalitarianism, and mass culture. Key figures include Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, and Jürgen Habermas, who analyzed social dynamics leading to events like Nazism and Soviet communism. The theory also merges Marxist and psychoanalytic ideas to understand modern societal interactions, emphasizing the transformative role of science and art in shaping culture and questioning established societal structures.

Takeaways

• 📚 The Critical Theory developed in the 1930s by the Frankfurt School is rooted in Marxist foundations, opposing positivism and theories that ignore social influences on knowledge.
• 💡 Critical Theory seeks to analyze and critique the negative aspects of contemporary society, aiming to explain phenomena like the rise of totalitarian regimes such as Nazism and Soviet communism.
• 🧠 Key thinkers associated with the Frankfurt School include Theodor Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Max Horkheimer, Herbert Marcuse, Jürgen Habermas, and Erich Fromm.
• 🏫 The Frankfurt School was founded in 1923, initially aimed at promoting Marxist studies, but shifted towards Critical Theory in 1931 under the direction of Max Horkheimer.
• 🚨 The Frankfurt School was forced to relocate during the rise of Nazism in 1933, first moving to Geneva and later to New York with support from Columbia University.
• 🔨 The Frankfurt School critiques capitalist society through concepts such as commodification, reification, and mass culture, seeking to transform rather than just analyze society.
• 🧑‍⚖️ They coined the term 'state capitalism' to critique the Soviet Union’s political economy, especially focusing on the lack of individual freedoms and market manipulation.
• 🔬 Critical Theory rejects the idea of 'pure sciences,' asserting that scientific knowledge is influenced by social dynamics and should serve as a tool for societal transformation.
• 🎭 The analysis of culture and mass media, especially regarding how art and media are used for propaganda in authoritarian systems, is central to the theory, exemplified by Walter Benjamin’s and Adorno’s works.
• 🎓 Jürgen Habermas, representing the second generation of the Frankfurt School, focused on issues of modernity, communication, and rationality, contributing to discourse on knowledge and democracy.

Q & A

What is Critical Theory, and which academic fields does it influence?

Critical Theory is a body of theoretical work developed in the 1930s by thinkers associated with the Frankfurt School. It influences sociology, philosophy, and political science, among other social and political sciences.

What was the foundational theoretical basis of Critical Theory?

Critical Theory is based on Marxist theory, opposing positivism and any approach to knowledge that disregards the influence of social dynamics and individual relationships with their surroundings.

Which historical events and ideologies did Critical Theory attempt to explain?

Critical Theory sought to explain the rise of totalitarian regimes in the West, particularly focusing on Nazism and Soviet communism, examining the negative aspects of contemporary society that contributed to these movements.

Who are the main representatives of the Frankfurt School and Critical Theory?

Prominent figures include Theodor Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Max Horkheimer, Herbert Marcuse, Jürgen Habermas, and Erich Fromm.

What significant event occurred in 1923 related to Critical Theory?

In 1923, the Institute for Social Research was established at the University of Frankfurt with financial support from Germán Warburg and his son Felix. The institute initially aimed to promote Marxist studies in Germany.

What major shift occurred in the Frankfurt School's focus in 1931?

In 1931, after Max Horkheimer became the director of the Institute for Social Research, the focus shifted towards Critical Theory, marking a new direction for the school.

How did the Frankfurt School scholars react to the rise of Nazism in Germany?

In 1933, following the rise of Nazism, the Frankfurt School's Institute for Social Research was closed by the Nazis, and its members fled to Geneva and later to New York, where they continued their work with the support of Columbia University.

What is one of the key features of Critical Theory, according to Max Horkheimer?

In his 1937 book 'Traditional and Critical Theory,' Max Horkheimer argued that Critical Theory should not only focus on analyzing society but also serve as a tool for its transformation.

What role does the concept of ‘late capitalism’ play in Critical Theory?

Critical Theory reexamined society through a Marxist lens and introduced concepts like commodification, reification, and mass culture, analyzing the effects of late-stage capitalism on society.

How did Critical Theory integrate psychoanalysis into its framework?

Critical theorists like Erich Fromm combined psychoanalytic methods and Freudian theory with Marxist concepts to understand the relationship between modern society and individuals, particularly focusing on the psychological effects of capitalism and social repression.