Thread by @NeilShenvi

I mean this non-pejoratively, but #CriticalTheory is a conspiracy theory without conspirators.

Short thread:
Conspiracy theories argue that the overall trajectory of history and the majority of people's actions are shaped by a powerful, nefarious cabal of conspirators, whose 1/

existence can only be inferred by recognizing subtle, insidious connections between public facts which can be discerned only by people who have gotten "woke".

This is precisely the same argument that critical theorists make, except that the nefarious cabal of conspirators 2/

is replaced by nefarious social forces and hegemonic narratives. No one is intentionally pulling the strings, but we're all nonetheless being controlled. And most people remain in denial and are unable to see the truth until they're enlightened, not by internet forums and 3/

talk radio hosts, but by gender studies professors.
Critical theory and conspiracy theories both tend to be practically unfalsifiable, in the sense that any counter-evidence is simply reinterpreted to fit the theory. 4/

They also tend to resist charitable, reasoned debate with outsiders, and thrive within echo chambers where dissenting voices are rare. 5/

There are, of course, differences. But the similarities are noteworthy and I suspect that they both fill similar roles in providing a comprehensive metanarrative and sense of social identity (just like religion - and I say that as an evangelical Christian!) 6/

Finally, I'm not arguing in this thread that *either* critical theories or conspiracy theories are false. But recognizing their similar structures helps us to see how these belief systems operate and what difficulties one might encounter in trying to show that they are false. 7/7

For those unfamiliar with the term "critical theory", see here:

shenviapologetics.com/intro-to-criti…