Glossary of Critical Terms

Critical theory calls into attention the language we use to understand the world. We need to think about the implications of the language we use. What follows is a list of terms and concepts central to critical theory. This by no means pretends to be a complete list. Also the entries do not pretend to be comprehensive. The approach of these entries is based on the Medieval tradition of the florilegia, literally flowers of reading. Medieval scholars would collect excerpts from their different sources and recompose them into their own books. Taken from my own reading, these quotations have been useful for me in coming to terms with some of the central concepts of critical theory. I look for suggestions for other terms to include and references to useful quotations to append to this glossary.

Colonialism

Culture

Gender

Ideology

Language

Liberal Humanism

Perspective

Post-Modernism

Primitivism

Realism

Re-presentation