What's Critical Theory Critical Of?

Modernism:

This one is ambiguous, as a target of critical theory. Some critical theorists are suspicious of the whole "project" of modernism, while others simply think that we haven't yet become truly modern, and we must strive to do so.

Many people think of being modern as simply being contemporary. However, modernity is seen as a historical moment by many theorists, and in some cases not the moment we are currently in (think "modern art", which ended in the 60's, or "modern architecture", which was superceded by postmodern architecture).

We will discuss modernity more fully later in the course, but for now:

• It is a time which is optimistic toward human capabilities. It is a time when people think they can know themselves first and best, or if they can't, there is a technique to get at the real self.
  
  
• It is a time of trying to get to the essence of things - art, for instance, becomes more formal, because people believe that it is in form that we find the essence of human experience.
  
  
• It is a time in which people believe in reason, and the ability of reason to provide the best human society.
  
  
• It is a time when people believe there is one grand story that makes sense out of everything. That story might be that of science, or of religion, or of communism, or liberal democracy, or many others, but the whole world is understood through that story.

What's wrong with this? For some critical theorists, the modern world has been an abject failure. For others, it has been a promise as yet unfulfilled, and still worth striving for.