2.3 | applying the theory

II | WORLDVIEWS

When studying Marxism, and/or Critical Theory it is clear that they represent a comprehensive worldview. They are not just teaching tools or research methodologies. CT represents this fact even more through its radical and activist intent. The founders of Critical Theory and modern CT scholars ask us to apply the theory, not just learn it intellectually. As such, Marxism and its descendant Critical Theory are worldviews that intend to guide our actions and lead us to achieve certain results.

Let’s zoom in on Critical Theory. Critical Theory is a Marxist and activist worldview that views systems of power as exploitative and oppressive to the everyday citizen. Critical Theory seeks to both identify and overthrow systems of power seen as problematic. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

The word “problematic” has a more comprehensive definition, too, than what we might assume. Something that is “problematic” is not just a problem. Here’s one definition: something that is potentially upholding, producing, reproducing, justifying, or legitimating any form of systemic dominance or oppression. (1, 2) So a “problematic” is something that seems to maintain systemic dominance. Remember the word “seems.” We’ll revisit problematics in part VI of this book.

To apply Critical Theory means that we intentionally divide the world into two groups: oppressed and oppressors. That’s the whole world. Not America, not the Western world, not our city, not our culture. You and I are – right now – either one or the other. If you hold a position of power in any system, you represent oppression. If you do not hold a position of power, you represent the oppressed. It is important to CT for us to identify who we are – oppressor or oppressed. This is descended from the Marxist ideas of the bourgeoisie (oppressor) and the proletariat (oppressed).

What CT shows us is that the greatest problem human beings face is oppression because of power dynamics and class conflict, either oppression that we have created as the oppressors or oppression that we live under as the oppressed. CT also tells us that our goal should be to liberate ourselves from oppression or to liberate those we have oppressed. And we should devote ourselves to the lifelong pursuit of applying Critical Theory to every societal system we come across for the express purpose of identifying problematics and dismantling systemic oppression.

Before moving on, let's take a look at the worldview questions again, along with the answers supplied by Critical Theory.

You may have noticed there is one answer missing. We won’t get to what truth is yet. That deserves its own chapter.

Critical Theory wants us to dismantle oppression, but as I note, you must identify the oppression of the system you live in first. Most likely, you’re familiar with the term “woke.” Woke in the world of Critical Theory has a specific meaning. To “get woke” means to become aware of social injustices by applying the worldview of Critical Theory. (1,2) Let me give an example to illustrate the traditional meaning of “woke” versus the CT concept.

In April 2015, an Alaska Airlines pilot heard a banging noise coming from the plane only moments after taking off. Banging of any kind is enough to cause a great deal of concern for a pilot, but to his surprise the noise wasn't from faulty equipment or pressure from the change in altitude. The sound came from a drowsy luggage handler who had fallen asleep and had woken up to find himself in the plane's cargo hold.

Alaska Airlines Flight 448 turned back to Seattle after 14 minutes in the air and declared an emergency landing. After the plane had touched ground, ramp agent Willa Junior was found inside the front cargo hold, which was pressurized and temperature controlled. The agent appeared okay, but he was transported to the hospital as a precaution. Junior passed a drug test following the incident, and it turned out he was just exhausted. During a pre-departure huddle, his co-workers noticed that he was missing and called his phone but never got an answer. They believed he had finished his shift and gone home.

Junior's 911 call from inside the cargo hold has since been released to the public. During the call, he said he was “inside a plane, and I feel like it's up moving in the air. Please tell somebody to stop it.”

“Getting woke” seems to work like Alaska Airlines Flight 448. We start to notice all the issues that we didn’t see before. We thought everything was fine, and Critical Theory awakens us to the evil, nefarious and subversive undercurrent of culture. We find ourselves finally peeking behind the curtain, and what once seemed so good about society is not true. Instead, it has been created by oppressors to further their oppression. We must realize for the first time how we either have been completely oppressed or have oppressed countless others without realizing it. Like Junior, we’re waking up on a journey someone else wants us to take having no idea where we are or how long we’ve been asleep.