Frankfurt School. International Relations

1. Frankfurt School

2. Introduction
• Critical Theory routed from the idea of Marx, emphasis on better egalitarian, no class
division, no subjugation, no oppression by historicising and questioning in problematic
area.
• Critics present imminent for better society, future, world, emancipation.
• It has great effort to bring Marx in contemporary world.
• Critics and re-write of writing of Marx.
• Its talk about the creation of knowledge.

3. Historical development of Critical Theory
• Critical theory was closely associated with the “Frankfurt School” which was developed at
Frankfurt institute of social research.
• It was set up in 1923 during the Weimar Republic.
• When Nazi came into power, it escaped to the USA and set up institution .
• It backed to the Germany after collapse of Nazism domination.
• The most important figures were____Max Hokheimer, Theodor Adorno, Herbert Marcuse,
Erich Fromm, Walter Benjamin, Leo Lowenthal and in present day Jurgan Hebermass and
Axel Honneth.

4. Hokheimer essay on ‘Traditional and Critical
Theory’ articulate Critical theory
• Three driving force
1. Society was in need of radical transformation.
2. Theory should be in form of social consciousness.
3. Objective in social world is not possible.

5. Features of Critical theory
1. Objective knowledge is not possible in social world.
2. Objective subjective knowledge distinction is not possible.
3. Value free is not possible in social world.
4. Critic of immutability thesis.

6. How Critical theory is different from
traditional theory.
Traditional theory Critical theory
Objective Subjective
Immutability Changeable
Foundational Antifoundational
Empirical Normative
Value free Value added
Explain Understand
Rationalist Reflectivist

7. Three dimension of Critical theory
1. Sociological dimension-Robert Cox
 Social force-Form of state-world order
2. Normative approaches
 Critics of ethics particularism
Social exclusion
3.Prexeological dimension
Emphasising on Hebermass discourse ethics
Inclusion
Democratic
Moral practical reasoning

8. conclusion
• Critical Theory has made major contribution to IR theory since its emergence in the
early 1980s.
• Reject the idea of objective in social world.
• Rethink of political community.
• Establishing a cosmopolitan set of arrangement that will better promote peace, freedom,
justice, equality, security across the globe.

9. References
• Devetak Richard, Linklater Andrew, Burchill Scott. Theories of International Relations.
Fifth edition 2013. Published by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN in UK.
• Smith Steve. International Theory: Positivism and Beyond. Published in USA by
Cambridge University press, New York. Ist Published in 1996.
• C.Roach Steven. Critical Theory and International Relations. First Indian reprint 2009.
• Edkins Jenny and Vaughan Williams Nick. Critical Theorist and International Relations
.Ist Published 2009 by Routledge 2park Squre.

10. • Chain Stephen and Hoore Cerwyn. Approaches to International Relations. Volume
III. Published in 2009. Mathura Road New Delhi
• Linklater Andrew. The Achievement of Critical Theory in International Relation.
Cambridge University New York, 1996.
• Max Hokheimer. Traditional and Critical Theory.(1937)