Date: 2021
Type: Article
You cannot eat critique : on uncritical critical (legal) theory and the poverty of bullshit
European journal of legal studies, 2021, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 187-222
EVANS, Matthew, You cannot eat critique : on uncritical critical (legal) theory and the poverty of bullshit, European journal of legal studies, 2021, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 187-222
- https://hdl.handle.net/1814/69519
Retrieved from Cadmus, EUI Research Repository
This article reflects upon critical theory, focusing especially on critical legal theory, particularly in relation to human rights. Positing that much critical theory is in fact uncritical, the article argues that critical theory is frequently deployed in such a way as to contradict its supposed purposes of challenging the prevailing order, orthodoxy and injustice, and guiding radical change. It is argued that in deploying critical (legal) theory there is a danger of producing bullshit, which scholars should be mindful of and should seek to avoid. Finally, the article suggests moving towards postdisciplinarity and to greater integration of critique with theory and practice as possible resolutions to the dilemmas and contradictions exposed by drawing attention to bullshit and uncritical critical (legal) theory.
Additional information:
Published online: 09 June 2021
Cadmus permanent link: https://hdl.handle.net/1814/69519
Full-text via DOI: 10.2924/EJLS.2019.036
ISSN: 1973-2937
External link: https://ejls.eui.eu/
Publisher: European University Institute