[FRA:] Critique Today: review of

[matthew piscioneri]

Interestingly, as a postscript to this discussion, Habermas (somewhere) argues that CT should both reflect social reality and reflect upon social reality...a sort of feedback process. Now, I say this with a sense of ironism, because i tend towards agreement with you that the metaphysical hyperbole of some contemporary CT leaves me wanting less...especially the CT that incorporates some of the more "sillier" aspects of PoMO into its analysis and deliberations.
 
Another point, is that there have been "generational" changes to the social landscape and as a rejoinder to my recent diatribes against some contemporary forms of critical thinking, in perception at least, parts of CT's audience do self-understand their identities less materially, shall we say, and more in terms of socio-cultural constructions -- as, essentially, embodied bearers of textual information, for want of a better phrase.
 
mp> Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:53:26 -0500> To: theory-frankfurt-school at srcf.ucam.org> From: rdumain at autodidactproject.org> Subject: Re: [FRA:] Critique Today: review of> > For you that's undoubtedly true. CT does fit its audience. Perhaps > the object of CT analysis (let's say if it's popular culture) fits > its audience. But the two audiences are not the same. If the > intellectual audience mimics the general audience, i.e. mimics its > childishness on the theoretical plane, then the intellectuals aren't > being true to their calling; they are not showing serious insight; > they are just beefing up their resumes. However, this is not the > only way to do intellectual work, and in fact, there's a lot of > damage control to be done outside of the self-enclosed circle jerk of > Ivy League schools and their ass-kissers.> > I'd also like to point out there's a generational factor at > work. Young people, having been brought up in the communications > technology and popular culture of the '80s and afterwards, are pretty > shallow and stupid in my experience. They started out media-savvy in > being able to assimilate the new cultural order in a way that older > people could not, but at the end of the day their depth is about half > an inch at most. And the grad school factory is breeding and > cultivating a certain type, and some of the oldsters are riding the > Ivy League gravy train writing self-involved bullshit that has no > other objective other than to up their cultural capital.> > That's the game you're part of, but I'm not.> > At 12:06 AM 1/28/2008, matthew piscioneri wrote:> > >Ralph,> >> >again thnxs for the links...> it seems as if critical theory (plus > > >the postmodern supplements to it) have degenerated into pointless > > >academic masturbation: it has become narcissistic and feeds on > >itself > rather than manifesting any real insight into present social reality.> >> >unless of course "present social reality" is *narcissistic* and > >*feeds on itself*.> >> >If this is the case -- and some would argue it is -- then perhaps > >contemporary CT manifests more "real insight" than first thought > >:-(. Maybe contemporary CT fits its contemporary audience?> >> >MP> >> _______________________________________________> theory-frankfurt-school mailing list> theory-frankfurt-school at srcf.ucam.org> http://www.srcf.ucam.org/mailman/listinfo/theory-frankfurt-school
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