Douglas Kellner

[kellner@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu]

Coyote:
Sorry that I didn't respond but was correcting page proofs and involved in
other dramas....
There appears to have been a fairly sustained discussion of themes like
theory, reason, and practice that you want me to respond to...
My view is that any number of theories can be useful in engaging
theoretical and practical problems of the present age -- including those
of postmodern and French theorists dismissed by some on this list -- and
that different theories are useful for different tasks. I also see the
Frankfurt school as constantly reworking theory and reason in response to
contemporary issues, to always engaging and appropriating when useful
dominant competing theories, and always revising theory in relation to
practice.
BUT theory is tested as to its saliency in practice and one could argue
that theories that don't help change the world as well as understanding it
are lacking from the more activist perspective within the Frankfurt
school. It is especially self-defeating, I think, to quote Adorno on
"Resignation" as if this "solves" the theory/practice problem, or absolves
theory from having to redeem itself in practice..... 
Ergo, if theories from whatever source help us make sense of the world,
target forms of oppression and domination to be attacked, and help us with
progressive transformation they should be part of the critical theory
arsenal...
Douglas Kellner

On Sat, 12 Jul 1997, Robert Johnson wrote:

> 
> 	At this point in the discussion, I wonder if Dr. Kellner,
> 	pray-to-God he is available, could comment upon some of the
> 	opinions and critiques expressed...
> 
> 	with reference to the "mutually-observable reality" that has
> 	become his strong point in anchoring theoretical discussion
> 	to "applied" understanding and realities.
> 
> 
> 
> 							Coyote
> 
> 

Douglas Kellner, Dept of Philosophy, Univ of Texas, Austin, TX 78712
kellner@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu  fax: 512 471-4806
Web sites: Postmodern theory= http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~kellner/pm/pm.html
Critical theory= http://www.uta.edu/english/dab/illuminations/