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Critical theory is a school of thought that stresses the examination and critique of society and culture, drawing from knowledge across the social sciences and philosophy. Critical theory aims at explaining and transforming the circumstances that enslave human beings, as Max Horkheimer defined the term in his now famous 1937 article Traditional and Critical Theory. Critical theory in most of its main form has at least two main elements. Firstly, it is held that empirical study and philosophical analysis should be brought together to form a detailed and correct understanding of a phenomenon under study. Secondly, it is held that the normative basis for the critical research and critique should be founded on the needs, longings, and moral demands of the people living under the conditions of the system or structure that are criticized.
The above definition leads to two different ways to articulate critical theory: one a narrow sense and...
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References
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Moisio, OP. (2013). Critical Theory. In: Runehov, A.L.C., Oviedo, L. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sciences and Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8265-8_1642
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