Overview of Critical Theory

Where did critical theory come from?

All forms of critical theory, such as critical race theory (CRT), originated from the postmodern movement that began in the 1960s (although some would argue as early as the 1940s). The postmodern philosophy itself was first developed by a number of French academics, philosophers, and activists. Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault are two of the primary thought leaders.

While the beginning of postmodernism coincides with the timing of the civil rights movement in the US, they are not related.

So what exactly is postmodernism?

It was conceived as a response to a perceived failure of modernism. In this context, think of modernism as a philosophy that embraced freedom of expression and believed in progress. As you can imagine, modernism isn't very compatible with socialist or communist political environments (freedom of expression is often more than frowned upon there!)

To make a simple comparison, modernism is about freedom and progress while postmodernism is about labeling and rejecting. Postmodernism is described as having an attitude of irony and rejection toward long-held beliefs. The key components of postmodern thought are:

1. Objective knowledge (i.e. impartial and scientific knowledge) is impossible. All knowledge is socially or culturally constructed.
2. Systems and relations of power are what determine how societies are built and what is "known"
3. Language = power
4. The boundaries and categories of knowledge previously accepted as "true" are suspect
5. Cultural relativism: Each culture has its own set of norms, standards, and knowledge and therefore should not be judged by another culture's norms, standards, etc.
6. There is no individual or universal truth. In other words, all truth comes from the various intersecting group memberships we have or are trying to keep in power.

How did postmodernism lead to critical theory?

If you just step back for a minute and look over those 6 items above, you'll undoubtedly spot some serious problems with this way of thinking. 

• How can there be no objective, scientific knowledge?
• What evidence is there to prove that power relationships and systems (i.e. laws, policies, etc.) define societies and what they see as "truth"?
• Wouldn't the first bullet cancel the second anyway since there is no objective knowledge?

It should be of no surprise that this postmodern movement did not go far beyond the walls of academia due to its cynical, destructive nature. It lacked goals. It lacked evidence. It lacked focus. But after simmering in academia for a couple of decades, applied forms of postmodernism began to appear.

What critical theories emerged from applied postmodernism?

Below are the primary forms of critical theories that exist today. You have likely seen them referenced in recent anti-racism statements like those made by many public agencies and school districts.