Posted on 06/15/2021 9:11:48 AM PDT by MtnClimber
Introduction Critical Race Theory (CRT) has been gaining traction in organizations throughout the Western world for over 50 years, but increasingly so for the past 5 years leading up to 2021. It is either highly criticized or highly-regarded, with little room for fence-sitting—a phenomenon facilitated by the widespread adoption of social media. This essay will attempt to provide additional information about the connections between Critical Race Theory and its philosophical parent Critical Theory (CT).
A thorough reading of the historical development of both philosophical disciplines reveals a genealogy that is closer than simple intellectual similarities.
A brief overview and explanation of Critical Race Theory will be followed by its history. Next, we will discuss Critical Theory, its origins, supporters, and key assumptions. Lastly, we’ll look at how CRT and CT are related by exploring their common genealogy and conceptual frameworks.
Critical Race Theory What is it?
Everything in our world is power, the distribution of which is mediated by race (e.g. broad categorizations of Asian, Black, Caucasian, Hispanic, Native, Pacific Islander, etc.).[1] Every human construction, from governments to homeschool co-ops, are embedded in racial structures that fundamentally build or dismantle racism and white supremacy. All people, regardless of socioeconomic status, location, or personality cannot help but perpetuate or undermine systems of racial oppression. This is Critical Race Theory in a nutshell.
For adherents of this theory, Martin Luther King, Jr’s dream is idealistic nonsense. The only path of progress is through the rubble of a completely dismantled America. Why? Critical Race Theory (CRT) asserts that the very structure of society is systemically oppressive to minority populations, and that racism is built into the very fabric of social life. So much so, that even when overtly racist policies, practices, or actions are ‘removed’ or ‘rectified,’ racism still exists—it is simply manifesting in new ways.[2]
As a result, racism cannot ever truly be solved, according to CRT. This belief creates a truly dangerous situation. Children are being taught that they live in a society that is riddled with racism and hate. They are being told that, due to factors outside their control—their melanin levels—they are oppressed, or they are the oppressors. They are also being taught that there is no resolution to this problem. Consider what havoc this is likely to wreak on young minds. “We have a problem. You are the problem, and there is no way to fix it. You’ll never be able to do enough to repair the damage that you perpetuate simply by existing.” CRT is incredibly disempowering. Children who are placed in the ‘oppressed’ category are told that the system is rigged against them. In such a situation, why should a child make any attempt to succeed?
Where did it come from?
Like many ideas, CRT is the product of the combining of other, older ideas. In this case, it started as Critical Legal Studies—the combination of race relations (arguably the social issue of the late 1960’s in America) and the study of the law. A man particularly well-positioned to push this new theory forward, the founder of Critical Race Theory, was Harvard Law professor Derrick Bell. Bell (1930-2011) was the first black tenured law professor at Harvard. He was 40 years old at the time of his hiring.
The ideas and works of Derrick Bell are largely variations on a theme that was laid out over 65 years earlier by W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963). While Bell continues to be seen as the modern founder of CRT, his ties to Du Bois, if only conceptually, are readily acknowledged by CRT scholars.[3]
Du Bois was a political economist who began his undergraduate studies at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, then moved on to Harvard University. At the time, some of the most prestigious universities in the world were in Germany. He spent two years in Germany studying on a scholarship from the Slater Fund, which ended before he could complete his PhD. While he was there, he wrote letters in which he mentioned several of his professors—some of them more than others. W.E.B. Du Bois completed his studies in Germany in 1894.
Critical Theory What is it?
Everything in our world is power. Systems and structures are created to maintain and build upon that power. Governments, organizations, businesses, and even hobby clubs exist solely to maintain and build power. Critical Theory’s goal is to intellectually emancipate society from oppression. Critical Theory is “…practical in a distinctively moral (rather than instrumental) sense.”[4] In other words, “critical” arguments are formed and founded in rhetoric—only. You cannot test their claims with any instrument of measurement. This is Critical Theory in a nutshell.
So, if you can’t test its claims, how can anyone know whether its claims are true or not? This requires faith or ‘suspension of disbelief,’ whichever you prefer. What value does it really have to anyone? So far, it’s been a very effective method of creating additional faculty jobs at universities. It has the added benefit of creating for its proponents social protections that are granted to ‘allies of the oppressed.’
Where did it come from?
Goethe University Frankfurt was one of the preeminent universities during the interwar period of the early 1900s. During this time, the Institute for Social Research was created by Friedrich Pollock and Felix Weil with a professor of political law and economy at University of Vienna named Carl Grunberg installed as its first director. The Institute was bankrolled by Weil, a wealthy student at Frankfurt. All of them were neo-Marxists. While they agreed with Marx, they felt many gaps were left in his writings that required development and explanation. The Institute (now commonly referred to as The Frankfurt School) was formed with the vision of filling in those conceptual gaps through the work of its members. Most notably, these scholars argued, in effect, “Not only was the Social Democratic leadership too wishy-washy and compromising, its voting constituencies among the working classes were themselves clueless about their real needs and their real but masked state of oppression.”[5
A good academic analysis that I highly recommend.
Critical Theory failed to transform much of Western Civilization into communism because the upward mobility of society did not easily fall for the class division tactics of the marxists. So division by race was tried instead. It is still brainwashng groups (now racial groups) into believing that they are oppressed victims of another group (now white people) in order to cause conflict and societal collapse.
Critical Theory popped up the MOMENT I and we started criticizing the lack of critical THINKING skills and true to the deceiver’s modus operandi ... took a truth, twisted it and made it an issue ... Hegelian Dialectic much ?
Defund the thought police.
Marxist go to Class Warfare won’t sell in America due to upward mobility. Race is always there. Its Marxist to the core game plan.
Critical Race Theory is simply the communist concept of “racism” given a new name. Communists came up with the idea as a weapon to use against what was at the time a white and Christian “establishment.” It has been an amazingly effective weapon.
What the heck is that??
That’s a real picture taken at a Critical Race Theory indoctrination seminar. Not a joke, not photoshopped
It should be burned into everybody’s brained so that when they ever hear the words “Critical Race Theory” that picture pops up.
The most disgusting thing about that picture is not her, but the pathetic, self loathing, guilt ridden whites obediently taking notes. Half of the white population have lost even the smallest sense of identity and self respect. Truly pathetic human beings who deserve all the degradation being heaped on them.
Oh, I know it’s real.
And even more disgusting is that the indoctrinated trash taking notes looks old enough to know better.
White liberals are a scourge on this nation.
Bump!
If there’s no solution, there’s no problem. Posing a problem assumes a solution. Tearing everything down and rebuilding it is no solution, and poses a new problem, to whom to entrust the rebuilding.
Saying that there’s no solution actually gives the white so-called congenital “racists” a very simple alternative: Wallow in your supposed racism, and abuse your supposed power over others.
I think that’s what CRT adherents are pushing for: A white supremacist backlash through constant riots, murders and other provocations. Shoot a white man’s young son for accidentally driving his bicycle on your lawn, and you create a racist. Return the deed in kind with a black man’s young son, and you create a race war.
The real solution: Punish criminals and rioters in alliance with the blacks whose homes and businesses were also destroyed, and whose loved ones were also killed and maimed by these lunatics. If the police and national guard won’t do the job, the citizens must. If burn, loot rioters are being shot on sight by vigilantes, they’ll disappear mos koshee.
As for CRT proponents, throw them out on their asses from the schools. If the school administrators won’t do it, then throw them out, too. Schools were once taught by educated spinsters, and they taught reading, writing and ‘rithmatic, and they were voluntary and privately funded. It’s really not that complicated, until you get the government involved and make it mandatory. And if the mandatory, government-funded schools are failing to teach anything, but are poisoning children’s minds, then f@#$ ‘em.
In 1993 I was laid off from GE in a very big cut back. Clinton was just coming into office and a quick downturn in the economy. One of my black coworkers landed a job as a “diversity trainer” which was a bit shocking because he never did anything like that before.
A year later I ran into him and he had a very nice car and said he also bought a new house. It was clear that he was in a very lucrative field. So my point is his qualification was being black and no doubt not oppressed and more like being rewarded for his melanin. This whole industry has taken off since then selling to corporate America a way to balm their white guilt.
It’s just a subset of the old Divide&Conquer method.
Somewhere a beach is missing it’s stranded...
I think the whole point of CRT is to give black people high-paying, do-nothing jobs and white people will pay the taxes to pay for it. In other words white people will be the new slaves.
Ping
Critical Race Theory is Black Supremacist.
They get to take all our stuff, right?
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