Critical Theory in Transition: From Eurocentrism to Postcolonial World Society

This article examines the shift in direction of the Frankfurt School following Stephan Lessenich's appointment as director of the Institute for Social Research (IfS) in 2021. A key innovation introduced by the current research program at the IfS is a substantive critique of the Eurocentrism embedded in the Frankfurt tradition. The heterodox impulse championed by Lessenich can be situated within the broader evolution of the critique of Eurocentrism in Western social sciences. This evolution comprises three phases: emergence (i), expansion (ii), and ascent to prominence in academia in the Global North (iii). Then, the article explores the underlying causes of the significant resistance to moving away from a Eurocentric framework. This study proposes that Lessenich's intellectual leadership is guiding the Frankfurt School toward a paradigm shift, which is taking shape through the development of a new vision of society that incorporates the intellectual traditions and historical realities of the Global South.