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Critical Theory

A Very Short Introduction

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Critical Theory

By: Stephen Eric Bronner
Narrated by: Justin Price
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About this listen

Critical theory emerged in the 1920s from the work of the Frankfurt School, the circle of German-Jewish academics who sought to diagnose—and, if at all possible, cure—the ills of society, particularly fascism and capitalism. In this book, Stephen Eric Bronner provides sketches of leading representatives of the critical tradition (such as George Lukács and Ernst Bloch, Theodor Adorno and Walter Benjamin, Herbert Marcuse and Jurgen Habermas) as well as many of its seminal texts and empirical investigations.

This Very Short Introduction sheds light on the cluster of concepts and themes that set critical theory apart from its more traditional philosophical competitors. Bronner explains and discusses concepts such as method and agency, alienation and reification, the culture industry and repressive tolerance, non-identity and utopia. He argues for the introduction of new categories and perspectives for illuminating the obstacles to progressive change and focusing upon hidden transformative possibilities. In this newly updated second edition, Bronner targets new academic interests, broadens his argument, and adapts it to a global society amid the resurgence of right-wing politics and neo-fascist movements.

©2011, 2017 Oxford University Press (P)2023 Tantor Movements Philosophy Society Sociology Socialism Capitalism
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this short introduction sadly fails utterly by failing to introduce its subject, define important terms, or explain what it is thar it is talking about. instead it has a scatter gun approach, telling you a snippet of what a key antagonist thought about something. this might be something like 'philosophical disagreements on aesthetics' without telling you what the actual disagreements were, but just telling you a fraction of one person's view, using key vocabulary whose use has never been defined. usually I've found these short introductions to be well thought out introductions, selecting and explaining key concepts, then highlighting key areas where these are contested, thus providing a foundation for further reading. having read this book I'm no further forward in the subject other than learning some names of people involved. also, I note any connection with current events is very US centric.
wouldn't recommend this at all.

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This book is not an introduction. The reviews praising it as helpful for final undergraduate exams are testament to that! It is a synopsis that may be helpful as a refresher for those already familiar with the material, but for an introduction you'll have to look elsewhere. The Very Short Introduction to Habermas is good.

This is not an introduction

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