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Program in Critical Theory & Comparative Literature

Critical theory has become an integral part of literary theory and cultural analysis. Over the past three decades, particularly in the United States, the term “critical theory” has expanded from its original designation of a group of thinkers associated with the Frankfurt School (Horkheimer, Adorno, Habermas) to a more generally conceived approach to study rather than a self-contained discipline. It entails reflection on the premises, concepts and categories used in different disciplines such as literary studies, history, political science, and film studies, to name a few. Critical theory can therefore not be limited to a particular field or even to a specific content. It is involved wherever methods and concepts are not simply taken for granted but subjected to a critical reflection in a systematic and rigorous fashion.

Critical theory, an interdisciplinary program of study, enabels undergraduates to acquire understanding of critical theory's many dimensions and fields of application. It aims to give students a chance to develop their interests in various dimensions of critical theory, with particular emphasis on literary theory, continental philosophy, and political theory.

Visit the Critical Theory Program home page.