Critical Theory is Practical

Is Critical Theory Practical?

You’re in a conversation and someone says, “Critical theory helps identify and end oppression, so anyone who cares about putting a stop to oppression should support critical theory.”

What would you say?

Critical theory is the idea that any human society can be divided into two groups: those who have power and those who don’t. According to critical theory, those who have power always oppress those who don’t. Therefore any institution, relationship, and belief system established by those in power is best understood as a tool of oppression.

The categories of oppressor and oppressed can be further divided into smaller categories based on things like race, gender, religion, immigration status, income, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Whether you are an oppressor or one of the oppressed is determined by your group identity.

As a result, almost everything, including institutions like police, government, religion, and the family are tools used by some to oppress those in other groups.

Although all of us should care about ending unjust oppression, critical theory is not helpful in doing this, and here are four reasons why.

First, power and oppression does not explain everything.
Second, power and privilege are relative concepts.
Third, lived experience is not an infallible guide to truth.
Fourth, Critical theory is self-defeating because it ignores the power dynamics it creates.

Comment Policy: We encourage civil discussions. Please keep bad language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and general bad behavior off our site.

[revavi]

There is no critical theory in this propaganda video.

[Paulthored]

Critical Theory??
One thing, if it is based solely on our group identity, and not on any individual actions...
Why should I do anything at all?? Because according to the group identity I'm in, it doesn't matter what I do, it's going to be automatically one thing or the other.

Second thought, if there is Always the opressed & the oppressors... The only result of changing anything, is that I will have changed only who is oppressing...
And added some groups to those who are oppressed. And judging by things like the French Revolution... Switching those around, tends to lead to worse oppression by those formerly oppressed.

[jonathansebo]

Critical theory is madness and murder. This video does a great job of explaining things, but nobody would listen to this info if they spoke as I do. This subject simply cries out for objection for the reason I exclaimed initially.

[AndySurtees]

Google maps is made by people with power, therefore my mum's house isn't where they say it is.

[DavidFregoli]

"every parent understands that it is very possible to feel oppressed, without actually being oppressed"
/thread

[knowstradamusucka]

I’ve always told people critical theory is an intentional univaried take on every Scenario of uneven outcomes. And you do a PHENOMENAL job pointing out critical theory’s take on the power/relationship dynamic🙏🇺🇸

[barakbruerd]

Your source material for this would be great. I've been in a lot of conversations with Christians lately on Critical Theory and these criticism are all being leveled at CT within the Christian community. However, when I read source material on CT, most of these principles are not actually part of CT or they are gross misrepresentations. I feel more like Christians are critiquing the current social movement, which may include elements of CT, but they're incorrectly conflating the two - kind of like how Christianity gets blamed for the Crusades and we all say "but that wasn't Christianity, that was state-sponsored warfare by soldiers with crosses on their shields".  

A quick response to your points based on what I've found thus far:

Intro - Critical Theory as originated in the School of Frankfurt actually groups people into oppressed and oppressor, not those with or without power.. Power is understood as a force for either domination or emancipation. The goal is emancipation from oppression and a truly democratized society.
1 - CT does not view causation and resolution in such a narrow field; in fact they expressly seek a multi-disciplinary approach through fields of sociology, psychology, anthropology, and other disciplines in order to have a holistic understanding of the context in which oppression takes place so that practical solutions can be determined.  
2 - CT recognizes that power and privilege are relative concepts and in our complex societies you may be both the oppressed and oppressor depending on the context. This doesn't negate the expressed aim of CT, merely recognizes the fact that solutions can't be 1-dimensional.  
3 - I have yet to find any CT source material or practitioners of CT who espouse this idea. I believe this idea does exist within current social movements in the US but I think it's being erroneously conflated with CT.
4 - This point is predicated on point 3 which is false, so point 4 must also be false. Even if point 3 were true, to say CT is self defeating makes its sound like the entire paradigm is unable to achieve it's end-goal. You don't throw out an entire philosophical approach because of a single point of cognitive dissonance. You critique it and then offer a revision that would allow the the end-game to be effectively achieved (eg "lived experience must be reconciled with the broader shared experiences of the community with the goal of reconciliation so that power dynamics are removed and people are able too live in true equality").

Here is my source material:

For some quick, more accessible overviews watch these:

[erikthered]

A video that adds critical thinking to critical theory. But only critical thinkers will benefit from this video. Those who live by critical theory will only see one side of things. Those are the people who see the glass as half empty.

[琪琪-zb]

I really like the point four of this video. Critical theory should apply to critical theory itself.

[donovanlewis]

If anyone sees this, I encourage you to do thorough research on critical theory in your own time. This video does a great injustice to the school of thought and analysis that is critical theory and is a gross misinterpretation of it definition, ideals, and goals. No matter what you believe, please do a quick google search and you will quickly find that this video's author is lying to you. I urge you. Critical thought is inherent to healthy and developing societies and nations worldwide

[resonanceliteracy]

Let me say it this way: This video has ZERO references to critical theory. Not one attribution to a critical theorist, and not one tenet of critical theory mentioned. The irony here is that the author speaks against essentialism using an essentialist argument. All this talk about Truth, without any epistemological explanation. Try reading some critical theorists instead of watching this poor excuse of an expose. So next time someone tells you that you should embrace critical theory . . . go study it and learn what it entails.

[land]

If anything, this video actually proves that Critical Theory has some practicality in it, but overall proves that Critical theory as a whole, is not practical. Don't know why this video discusses critical theory with no real world examples & no discussion of marxisms influence on it, not to mention... Yeah I'm done.

[FHBStudio]

The usurpers don't want to end the power game, they just play to win by telling everyone how much of a loser they are.

[yosemitesam]

Critical Theory: Eugenicist racial-preference policy, aimed to account for historical oppression
National Socialism (Nazism): Eugenicist racial-preference policy, aimed to account for historical oppression
The worst part about Critical Theory is that the majority of all Jewish people will have to check the 'Caucasian' box on ethnicity. So Critical Theory accomplishes the same thing that Nazism did, but now they have a new name for it. It's been scary watching this type of scapegoat philosophy take hold here in America.

[jenniferwillis]

Did he address that this is a Marxist ideology?

[frgl]

Who came up with this theory and why? That would help to put it in context.

[keylupveintisiete]

Haha this is such a bad and tendentious explanation and everyone is buying it 🤣

[onepartyroule]

The catagories of oppression are also highly subjective and negligent. If you were being honest when looking at how attributes (or the perception of such) negatively affects peoples lives -- interpersonally and systemically -- mental health would be at the top of your list.

If youre a middle class white male with a significant and/or long term mental health condition, it is likely that the societal stigma/prejudice affecting employment, treatment by institutions and correlating social and political marginalization is going to be far more pernicious and impactful than the struggles of a black, lesbian trans woman who has her mental health.
Adding mental health completely undermines the assumptions that factor into the hierarchy of oppression in critical theory, but in reality, if you were being honest, it would be at the top of the list.

[TheMinyHappy]

Critical theory is an approach to social philosophy that focuses on reflective assessment and critique of society and culture in order to reveal and challenge power structures. Keyword POWER STRUCTURE, not in any way or form oppression. Yes, there may exist some roads of critical theory that look at oppression, but it's all about the dynamic. In many cases, power should not be looked at as either evil or good, but neutral and in many cases productive. And both sides have some power, and they co-exist to a certain degree. There isn't one instance where one has ALL the power and the other has none, at least not if you followed critical theory. Also, this is ONE theory, to get a complete picture of anything multiple angles should be looked at, be open to different world views there is no fix-all theory. This is some of the most bias shit I have ever seen, and even I am not such a fan of social theory, but at least get it right...

[jpatrick]

Never heard an explanatory video on a theory get the theory so wrong with so much value laden counter arguments and lack of clarity on terms. How can a theory have power? Theories attempt to explain phenomena in the real world. Such a weird video.