Abstract

In this chapter, I explore the new directions critical theory has taken in response to contemporary transformations in society and theory. I focus particularly on the reflections of Hartmut Rosa and Rahel Jaeggi, whose work extends traditional critique by confronting issues such as social acceleration, alienation, and the search for resonance and self-appropriation. Rosa’s diagnosis of temporal regimes and Jaeggi’s concept of alienation as a “relation of relationlessness” both attempt to update critical theory’s normative core. I argue that critique must now encompass not only domination but also the deterioration of meaningful relations in late capitalist societies. Central to this development is the notion of immanent critique, which, as Jaeggi articulates, navigates between the failures of both internal and external critique. I show how immanent critique derives normative force from within social practices themselves, revealing contradictions that destabilize their own legitimizing values. This model allows critique to be both transformative and grounded, avoiding utopian detachment while still motivating change.