Kritik lecture

Adriane & DCH

Why Critical Theory?

“Facts” are subjective—what we might accept as true might be held as false by others

Many public and policy disputes enter on differing views of “truth”

“Truth” may not exist What is “true” is defined by where you sit

We may lack access to the real world Sensory distortion

Linguistic / representational mediation

Cognitive limits

“Truth” is embedded within power/knowledge relations

Core concepts

Marxism

It is a method—focuses on Historicism (how we got to where we are)

Materialism

Posits that labor and class relations explain socioeconomic order

Foundational—much other critical theory is reactive / orients itself in relationship to Marxism—function of the history of the development of critical theories

Radical / Deep Ecology

Argues that there is no meaningful distinction between humans and the rest of the world (rejects human/nature binary)

Argues that all beings are of equal worth, and that such value is intrinsic (rejects notion of use-value)

Is both deeply influenced by Heidegger and influences other “green” kritiks

Social ecology/Bookchin

Connect ecological problems to social problems Ecological crisis results from hierarchy and domination

Examples?

Environmental destruction as a symptom

Reverses anthro’s root cause claim: human on human domination causes human domination of nature

Critical of green consumerism/green capitalism

Need to utilize ethics of complementarity Humans as part of system

Reject either/or

Is a red (Marxism) / green (deep ecology) encounter

Identity

Race & coloniality Middle Passage

Racialized history of exploration and development—settler colonialism, Manifest Destiny

Gender Ocean exploration/development as metaphor for masculinity/femininity

Ecofeminism Historical

Connect domination of women with domination of nature

Women have innate connection with nature

Contemporary

Indigenous women’s movements

Identity [cont’d]

Queer ecologyQueer our relationship with/orientation to the ocean

“erotic” engagement with the ocean

Critical Theory in Debate

Alts—what’s up with that?

Competition and permutations

Ks and other args—contradictions!?!

Answering the K