The subject-structure problem in critical theory

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Lecturer of Political Science - Faculty of Economics and Political Science - Alexandria University

Abstract

Critical Theory (C.T) is one of the most important theories in
International Relations Theories. It belongs to Post-positivism theories.
Critical Theory starts from Marxism in which it believes in material factor as
a main dimension in analyzing social relations .
Antonio Gramsci - the famous Italian writer - added the ideological
dimension for better understanding of social relations. Frankfort school
believed in Gramsci's theory .
This paper seeks to discuss the agent – structure debate in lens of
Critical Theory in two steps: First, illustrate the main actor in Critical Theory,
and we found that social class is the one in which we can find in Marxism.
Second, illustrate the meaning of structure in Critical Theory, and by tracing
the writings of Antonio Gramsci, we find that there are two main structures.
One is material, the second is ideological. We suggest, in this paper, Roy Bhasakr's model: Transformative
Model of Social Activity (TMSA) as an appropriate model to understand the
agent – structure problem in Critical Theory.

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