Critical Theory

CORE DEFINITION

Critical theory, in the humanities and social sciences, generally refers to emerging theories in various fields starting roughly from the 1960s, including structuralism, post-structuralism, deconstruction, Marxism, feminism, and so on. Related fields of development include literary theory (often a rough synonym for critical theory), cultural studies, aesthetics, theoretical sociology, social theory, continental philosophy, and more. The term 'critical theory' was first used by the Frankfurt School (referring to the members of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Frankfurt, their intellectual and social networks, and those intellectually influenced by them) to describe their own work. Since then, it has become a broad term denoting discourses produced through humanities methods. The fields it refers to include Marxist theories such as the Frankfurt School, psychoanalytic theory (such as Jacques Lacan), semiotics and linguistic theory (such as Julia Kristeva and Roland Barthes), queer studies, cultural studies, critical race theory, and so on. However, critical theory does not have a clearly defined scope.