Critical Vocabulary

A critical vocabulary is a formal terminology related to one or more branches of critical theory.^{[citation needed]} Although it may be considered a type of jargon, it is predominantly used by academics ^[who?] and is not slang.^{[citation needed]} The word "critical", as used in the term critical vocabulary, takes on two meanings: "of essential importance" and "of or pertaining to critics or criticism."^{[citation needed]} Thus, the vocabulary is of essential importance to the critical theory that employs it and is used by that critical theory in order to produce criticism.^{[citation needed]}

Usage

Unlike the term jargon, the term critical vocabulary is seldom used as a collective noun.^{[citation needed]} It is typically preceded by the definite or indefinite article.^{[citation needed]} When speaking about more than one critical theory, it is used in the plural (i.e. "the critical vocabularies of postmodern studies").^{[citation needed]}

Criticism

Several people have criticized critical vocabularies as tools of alienation or obfuscation.^{[1][failed verification][2][failed verification]} Also there have been assertions that the relatively recent proliferation of critical vocabularies has resulted in redundancy of both terms and ideas.^{[3][failed verification]} See the Pitfalls section under jargon.

See also

• Critical theory
• Critical theory (Frankfurt School)
• Critical thinking
• Critique
• Cultural critic
• Jargon
• Philosophy
• Technical terminology

References

External links

• What "Critical" means in "Critical Thinking": Donald Jenner, BMCC/CUNY (pdf)

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