What Does That Mean? Episode 1: "Theory"

What is “Theory” in the Humanities? The Western history of ideas witnessed an explosion of interest in “Theory” with the advent of the 20th century. From the intellectuals of the “Frankfurt School” of critical theory, to Structuralism, and then Poststructuralism, with such French intellectuals as Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault, to the many unique theoretical discourses downstream from these, such as feminist theory and postcolonial theory: interest in Theory and theories have only continued to grow and multiply, even into the 21st century. In this episode of “What Does That Mean?”, our panel takes a stab at the question “what does the term 'theory' mean?”

Bios:

Lis Fertig is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the University of Michigan. Her research centers on radio and audial culture, and she’s curre ...