294.3
On the Theoretical and Social Conditions of Critique in Contemporary Society
Mikael Carleheden
Department of sociology
University of Copenhagen
It is often claimed that critique is in a crisis. But, what kind of critique would be possible in contemporary society? The point of departure of the paper is that the theoretical conditions of critique must be internally related to the social conditions of contemporary society. Thus, conceptions of critique must be related to the epochal transformation of modern society. In order to grasp social change, I will use Boltanski’s and his co-authors’ distinction between critical sociology and sociology of critique, on the one hand, and their theory about the transformation of the spirit of capitalism (inspired by Peter Wagner), on the other. On the basis of this theory of social change I will discuss two of the most influential schools of critique; the Frankfurt school of critical theory (Horkheimer & Adorno, Habermas and Honneth) and the Foucault version of critical theory (Foucault, the governmentality school and Judith Butler). These schools of critical theory have their different weaknesses and strengths, but my overall claim will be that the former lacks a developed theory of social change, while the latter’s conception of critique is undertheorized. Boltanski’s own concept of critique is also still rather sketchy and lacks systematization. Hence, in order to work out a concept of critique for today I use the best parts of these three theoretical traditions - the Frankfurt school, Foucauldian critical theory and Boltanski’s French pragmatism - and work out a consistent suggestion.