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Critical Theory in Context

By: Center for Humanities and Social Change in Berlin
  • Summary

  • What are the crucial conflicts of our time? What hopes and wishes for a better future are expressed within these conflicts? The podcast Critical Theory in Context combines analysis of the present with perspectives on societal transformation. We host conversations with theorists and activists about social crises and the possibilities of their emancipatory overcoming.
    Critical Theory in Berlin
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Episodes
  • „A Precarious Happiness“ – Peter E. Gordon on the Sources of Normativity in Adorno
    Jun 9 2024
    In this episode, Marvin Ester interviews Peter E. Gordon about his new book, 'Precarious Happiness: Adorno and the Sources of Normativity.' Gordon is the Amabel B. James Professor of History and a faculty affiliate in the Departments of Germanic Languages and Literatures, Government, and Philosophy at Harvard University. In 'Precarious Happiness,' Gordon argues that Theodor W. Adorno's social critique—contrary to what is often assumed—is, in all its ruthlessness, still grounded in the however fragile experience of happiness that hints at an unfulfilled potential for human flourishing. Peter E. Gordon, A Precarious Happiness: Adorno and the Sources of Normativity, The University of Chicago Press, 320 pages, 2023. Peter E. Gordon, Prekäres Glück: Adorno und die Quellen der Normativität, 470 pages, Suhrkamp, 2023.
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • Vergesellschaftung
    Mar 6 2024
    Vergesellschaftung erlebt gegenwärtig in der öffentlichen und wissenschaftlichen Debatte ein Revival. Es ist vor allem der Kampagne Deutsche Wohnen und Co enteignen zu verdanken, dass das Konzept heute erneut aufs Tableau gebracht wurde und, auch über den Bereich des Wohnens hinaus, als politische Alternative und Strategie sozialer Veränderung zurück ist. Vergesellschaftung ist nicht zuletzt eine erfolgreiche soziale Bewegung von unten, die mit ihren Kämpfen auf die Krisen der gegenwärtigen Zeit reagiert. Zentralen Lebensbereichen wie dem Wohnen, der Energie, Mobilität, Bildung oder Gesundheit stehen grundlegende Transformationen bevor. Vergesellschaftung beansprucht diese Transformation aktiv und basisdemokratisch zu gestalten: Gemeineigentum und Demokratie sollen als nachhaltige Krisenlösung für lang vernachlässigte Probleme gelten. In dieser Folge diskutieren Justus Henze, Selana Tzschiesche und Jacob Blumenfeld mit Isette Schuhmacher über die Notwendigkeit von Vergesellschaftung, die historischen Ziele und Mechanismen von Vergesellschaftungskämpfen, sowie die Bedingungen gelungener Vergesellschaftungsprozesse und werfen einen besonderen Blick auf Vergesellschaftungsbestrebungen im Energiesektor.
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Special Issue: New Revolutionary Subjects
    Sep 2 2023
    A multitude of social and political crises concerning, among others, public health, environmental justice, poverty, border struggles, and the rise of nationalist forces have brought the question of radical change – and its subject – back on the table. Herbert Marcuse, whose birthday was celebrated for the 125th time this July, prominently questioned the role of the proletariat as the sole and determined driving force of social revolutions. Not only did he analyze the fact that the proletariat had failed to fulfill its intended role in the 1930s, but he was also among the first of his peers to recognize a previously underappreciated candidate for the role of “catalyst” of revolutions to come: the groups and social movements formed by and around the socially marginalized. Much has changed since Marcuse’s famous “Essay on Liberation”, and thus the search for revolutionary subjects is, once again, on. In this special issue of “Critical Theory in Context”, we invited some of the most interesting contemporary theorists of revolution and social movements to discuss in Marcuse’s spirit the pressing questions raised by the persisting crises we face today: Who are the collective agents that have both the will and the ability to profoundly transform societies? Does it make sense to think about future revolutions as driven by a definable subject? And can the revolution be predicted? We present the full recording of the public roundtable that took place at Vierte Welt Berlin and was part of our Critical Theory Summer School: Radical Social Change. You can find more information about our annual Summer School on criticaltheoryinberlin.de. Participants of the debate, hosted by Robin Celikates, were Gianfranco Casuso, Alex Demirović, Verónica Gago, Sally Haslanger, Rahel Jaeggi, and Eva von Redecker. With special thanks to Vierte Welt Berlin Amin Wagner (Audio-Recording) Lane Hots (Mixing, Mastering and Audio-Restauration) Josefine Berkholz (Audio-Editing and Postproduction)
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    1 hr and 37 mins

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This is it. They tie everything together so well.

This is so good. It is such a hard thing to explain, how all of these extremely important aspect of life tie together - but when people don't have this understanding, that this is the situation, there is then really no way they can understand what we are talking about... and this explains it so well. I'm going to emulate this starting point to bring people into understanding.

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