What can critical theory tell us about international politics Essay

What can critical theory tell us about international politics - Essay Example This paper expounds on the various contributions of the critical theory to international politics. According to Thompson (1990), the philosophical and historical meaning of critical theory is ambiguous and it is both narrow and wide. In its narrow aspect, the critical theory is a development that runs down from several German philosophers and sociologists of â€Å"Western Europe Marxism†, which in other terms is referred as the Frankfurt school. Marxist or Frankfurt theorists argue that the major defining characteristic of the critical theory is that it seeks liberation or emancipation of the human being (Joseph, Andras and Stomp, 2010 p 63). This includes emancipating human beings from enslaving situations and conditions. From the narrow perspective of the critical theory that is concerned with liberation of people, various theories have been developed from the perspective that examines critical theory in a much broader sense. Various factors have contributed to the emergence of these broader critical theories, but the underlying fact is that they originate from diverse social movements that are concerned with â€Å"the authority or domination of people in the contemporary societies† (Chantal 1990 p29). ... Secondly, the critical theory should provide significant account of both the historical and cultural circumstances affecting the individual as well as the society from which the theorists own intellectual activity relies (Craig 1995). Thirdly, critical theory should be a continuous and critical reassessment of the constitutive classes that includes the historical construction of the examined framework. Finally, a critical theory should establish an important engagement with other works seeking social explanation with intention of elucidating the strong and weak points, but also showing the logic behind their misunderstandings in addition to demonstrating the capacity to include their contributions in order to establish a firm and logical theoretical foundation (Craig, 1995 pp87-96) According to Burchill et al (2005, p68) critical theory is â€Å"self-reflective and motivated by values†. The principal objective of critical theory is to change the contemporary society from an op pressive, unjust and inhumane form into a society that respects and demonstrates justice, rationality, humanity and reconciliation (Chantal, 1990, p53). Therefore, critical theory is charged with various responsibilities that are crucial in our contemporary historical circumstances at both local and international level. Some of the roles of the critical theory include promoting and diversifying education provided in the society so that people can develop different expertise and knowledge that protects the society from the dangers of overspecialisation in a particular discipline (Thompson, 1990). Intellectually diversified individuals are capable of thinking