“The academic influence of the “critical” method is far reaching in terms of educational institutions in which such tradition is taught and in terms of the problems it addresses. Some of its core issues involve the critique of modernities and of capitalist society, the definition of social emancipation and the perceived pathologies of society.”
The Frankfurt school’s driving focus was to apply critical theory through the dialectical method (coined by Hegel and later appropriated by Marx). It was not designed to critique the Soviet Union or (socialism) as Orathaic mentioned. It’s primary and almost sole purpose was to critique the culture of the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. It was not a revolutionary movement in the sense that it sought to violently overthrow capitalism, but simply a revolutionary academic and intellectual movement. It was born out of the 1918 November revolution in Germany following the end of Imperialist Germany and continued through Weimar until the Frankfurt School was forced into exile.
Labeling someone a “conspiracy theorist on the lunatic fringe” is funny, but not accurate at all. I know there are people on the internet that state that anyone who uses the term is a fringe person. It’s not accurate.
As we can see from the quote the goal of the Frankfurt School was to critique capitalism and examine the pathologies of society while achieving social emancipation. Thus the vast majority of causes and issues we see today about social justice, etc stem from the work that the Frankfurt School laid out. Their mission was to critique capitalist society through critical theory and then apply solutions through praxis (putting something into action).
Critical theory and praxis are tenets of Marxism. The Frankfurt School sought not to explain the material conditions of society like Marx, but to examine culture and society. Hence the term “cultural Marxism” because they examined culture through a Marxist worldview.
Orathaic mentioned something about, “there is no conspiracy of jewish intellectuals attempting to undermine western liberalism.” This is a pretty strange and unprovoked point to bring up. I never mentioned anyone’s religion in the Frankfurt School so I would like Orathaic to elaborate on what he stated here.
The school, most definitely, looked at social issues and sought to ‘emancipate’ the citizenry by analyzing, critically, the faults of capitalistic societies (primarily the U.S. but also Nazi Germany during the 1940s). They came to recognize that there would be no final conflict between Karl Marx’s proletariat and bourgeois. They sought to adapt Marx for the 20th century through critical theory and cultural/societal analysis.
Thus, many of the social issues that have become wedge issues in the United States (and abroad) including political correctness, among other things, were coined, discussed, and mainstreamed originally by the Frankfurt School. The school was not a driving influence past the 1950s, but they laid the ground work for these issues that would be picked up by other intellectuals and theorists that continued to build upon what they did.
Many of the Social Issues that divide people today can be directly traced back to their work with critical theory, the dialectical method, and praxis. Their overarching aim was most definitely the dissolution of capitalism, free markets, and traditional aspects to society.
Some may say this is all well and fine and good and my purpose is not to refute that notion. My purpose is to explain the term, the school, and what it sought to do. My purpose is also to identify people who subscribe to these cultural Marxist tenets so they can understand the genesis of their philosophy as it is rooted in Marxism. If that is what you believe then all well and fine, but at least you will know what you believe in now.
Sources:
https://www.marxists.org/subject/frankfurt-school/
http://www.iep.utm.edu/frankfur/
No Such Thing as Racism
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