Traditional and Critical Theory
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conference
Philosophy reading evening: excerpts from Horkheimer's essay
Science can never be neutral. Are we just sorting the world or do we want to change it? Horkheimer wrote this text in 1937 as Europe was descending into fascism, convinced that any science claiming to be 'neutral' is powerless against ideologies. For him, the question of science’s role is a matter of survival, not just an academic exercise. He wanted to understand how a highly civilized society could descend into barbarism, and why classical science had no answer. He criticizes the model of Traditional Theory, dominant since Descartes: the researcher observes the world as an external object, which he sees as an illusion. Pure description only confirms what already exists. If science is only a value-free, rational tool, it can be instrumentalized by any system. Critical Theory is a radical alternative: there are no neutral observers, the researcher is always part of the society they study. We must ask ourselves whose interests knowledge serves, whose perceptions shape it, why things are as they are, and whether they could be freer or more humane. The aim is emancipation: theory shouldn't just explain the world, but create the conditions to improve it. Thinking carries responsibility.
Evening with Nora Schleich (philosopher and director of EwB). We will read together from Horkheimer's essay.
Good to know
No prior knowledge required. This event may be recognized as IFEN continuing education. Participation is free. Registration is recommended. Part of the project "Digital Dialectics: Socio-philosophical Discussions on Our Connected Lives." Supported by the National Foundation.
Source linkWhere does it take place?
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avenue Marie Therese
2132 Luxembourg
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