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What is Critical Theory?

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"Critical Theory" is a term that over the past three decades, particularly in the United States, has come to designate a particular approach to study rather than a self-contained discipline. It entails reflection upon the premises, concepts and categories used in different disciplines such as literary studies, history, political theory and film studies, to name a few. Critical theory can therefore not be limited to a particular field or even to a specific content. It is involved wherever methods and concepts are not simply taken for granted but subjected to a critical reflection in a systematic and rigorous fashion.

 

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last revision December 18, 2006