Critical Theory and the Unfinished Project of Mediating Theory and Practice

With its claim to be materialist and emancipatory, critical theory in the Frankfurt School tradition inherits the Marxist commitment to overcoming the division between theory and practice. This contribution provides a survey of attempts to bridge the gap between theory and practice throughout the different generations of the Frankfurt School, showing that instead of being easily overcome, the division between theory and practice has proven obstinate, resulting in a number of complex mediations and tensions that characterize critical theory – in its different strands and voices – until today.