29. November 2021 – Dr. Joan Braune
“Cultural Marxism”: How An Antisemitic Conspiracy Theory About the Frankfurt
School Is Going Mainstream and Undermining Antiracist Education (Vortrag findet in
englischer Sprache statt)
19:30: Livestream via Youtube
Facebookevent: https://www.facebook.com/events/166351692330039/
How An Antisemitic Conspiracy Theory About the Frankfurt School Is Going Mainstream and
Undermining Antiracist Education
“Cultural Marxism” is an antisemitic conspiracy theory about Jewish Marxist scholars
belonging to the Frankfurt School. According to the conspiracy theory, these scholars
implemented a slow takeover of “culture,” seeking to undermine Christianity, family, and
nation in favor of a new worldview and international system of control, involving embracing
diversity, sexual liberation, and moral and aesthetic decline. The conspiracy theorists believe
that “cultural Marxism” now controls all areas of public life, including the media, schools,
entertainment, the economy, and national and global systems of governance. Not only does
this theory vastly overestimate the influence of a small group of Jewish intellectuals; it
repackages old antisemitic tropes and serves as an updated, post-Cold War version of the
Nazi “Judeo-Bolshevism” conspiracy theory.
The cultural Marxism conspiracy theory is popular among fascists and white supremacists,
and has inspired mass shootings, including the attacks by Norwegian white nationalist
Anders Breivik in 2011. However, the conspiracy theory is also making its way into the
conservative mainstream. It has been favorably referenced by some conservative politicians
around the world, often in the context of attacks on education and academic freedom. In the
United States, the cultural Marxism conspiracy theory is increasingly merging with conspiracy
theories about “Critical Race Theory” which aim to shut down anti-racist education in schools
and workplaces. Conspiracy theories about “Critical Race Theory” and “cultural Marxism”
trade on similar fears. For example, both conspiracy theories claim that teachers are using
Critical Race Theory or Cultural Marxism to suppress “free speech” or “make white children
feel ashamed.” Since the “cultural Marxism” conspiracy theory is often merging with
conspiracy theories targeting other minority groups, overcoming its influence may require
uniting in solidarity against a variety of conspiracy theories targeting Jews as well as other
minority groups.
Dr. Joan Braune is a Lecturer in Philosophy at Gonzaga University, and her current research
explores Frankfurt School Critical Theory’s work on fascism and applies Critical Theory
insights to countering the rise of fascism and far-right movements today, especially in the
United States. She is author of the book Erich Fromm’s Revolutionary Hope: Prophetic
Messianism as a Critical Theory of the Future (Sense Publishers 2014) and co-editor with
Kieran Durkin of Erich Fromm’s Critical Theory: Hope, Humanism and the Future
(Bloomsbury 2020). She has written numerous articles, including “Who’s Afraid of the
Frankfurt School? ‘Cultural Marxism’ as an Antisemitic Conspiracy Theory.” She is a frequent
speaker on countering hate groups, is active in the Gonzaga Institute for Hate Studies, and
serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Hate Studies. She has helped organize locally
against white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups active in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
Eine Veranstaltung im Rahmen der Aktionswochen gegen Antisemitismus Köln. Veranstaltet vom Bündnis gegen Antisemitismus Köln, dem AStA der Universität zu Köln und der Deutsch-Israelischen Gesellschaft AG Köln. Unterstützt von der Amadeu Antonio Stiftung.