Thread by @CraigACarter1

1) What is Scruton’s take on critical theory?

He quotes Horkheimer’s intention to make it a “systematic critique of capitalist culture” (Fool, Frauds & Firebrands, 138). Horkheimer claims that reason is corrupted by the capitalist order & “loses its nat. focus in human life.”

2) Humanity must be understood as an end in itself. So, Scruton concludes:

“The true critical philosophy is the one that, by turning the gaze of philosophy on philosophy itself, sees the poisoned source of its own polluted reasoning.”

3) S. says that the founders of critical theory (CT) took Kant’s critical phil. & recast it as an instrument of social criticism by using Marx’s theory of intellectual production. Marx accepts that Kant has ended the pretensions of phil. to have true knowledge of the world . . .

4) . . . & therefore he views all intellectual activity as merely an ideological mask for power. For critical theory, “Thought must be freed from the dominion of instrumental reasoning, & hence from the hidden tyranny of things.”

5) This is done by relentless criticism of the institutions & hierarchies of society, which according to Marx are inherently tyrannical expressions of instrumental reason. So critical theory is built on Kant’s categorical imperative + Marx’s theory of intellectual production.

6) Scruton notes that, for Horkheimer, it attains “a distinctively modern melancholy.” How does S. evaluate all this? For S. the critique of instrumental reason “contains insights, but they are for the most part detachable from the language used to express them” (139).

7) In other words, you don’t need Marxism to tell you that modern utilitarianism & a view of reason as purely instrumental is deficient. Conservatives can tell you that. Even Heidegger, who is neither a Marxist nor a conservative, articulates these insights.

8) Scruton points out that critical theory is Orwellian in its language (eg. Marcuse’s “repressive tolerance”). He goes for the jugular: “If the false consciousness of the bourgeoise has poisoned its phil., what of the phil. that says so? Is that not also a bourgeoise product?”

9) Scruton writes: “Enlightenment was anathema to Horkheimer & Adorno in part b/c it was synonymous with tech. & mass production” (140). But they wanted to replace a “false Enlightenment” with a true one. Their true foe was capitalism.

10) Critical theory presupposes that the Christian doctrines of God, revelation & creation have been left behind. It supposes that we can & should abolish the capitalist order, including the family, the state & religion. It assumes that Kant’s demolition of metaphysics was final.

11) Marxism is a Xian heresy. It is eschat. w/o Christ. It is the kingdom of God w/o God. It is heaven on earth by means of revolutionary vio. It locates all of our problems in social structures, but assumes we have the wisdom to build better if only we can tear down what exist.

12) All this leaves one completely baffled as to why cont, conservative Christians would want anything to do with CT or its offshoot critical race theory. A false theory cannot function as an analytical tool unless you are content with misleading analysis that leads you astray.

13) If you told me that the SBC or the PCA sees value in using critical race theory, I would wonder when it was that they decided that capitalism, rather than the sin of Adam, was the root of all our social problems. I'd say they need to read Scruton & get back to their roots.