CRT is one of many theories—including Critical Legal Theory, Intersectionality, de-constructionism, Gender Theory, etc.—that have their roots deep in postmodern thinking that started in the mid 1900’s. Postmodern thinking has become increasingly dominant in academia—especially the humanities.
At its core, postmodern thinking says that there are no facts, no objective truth, and no objective morality. It explicitly rejects logic, and the idea that there is meaning or purpose in life. Everything is subjective, a matter of perspective, opinion. In this postmodern approach, it is not a fact that anorexia is unhealthy. It is a matter of opinion.
The postmodern rejection of facts means that saying, “Dishonesty, violence, and rape are wrong” is not a statement of fact, but simply a feeling, opinion, perspective. If there is no objective truth, morality, or justice, then the only thing that matters is Power. That’s why postmodern philosophies see everything in terms of perspectives and power.
All of the things that you were taught are facts—like it’s a fact that honesty is right and dishonesty is wrong—are nothing more than social constructs that the powerful programmed into you through the schools, media, culture, churches, etc. The whole point of the postmodern theories like CRT is to de-construct the constructs you’ve been programmed with to understand how others use their power over you. When everything is about perspective and power, words like racism develop opposite meanings.
Dr. Martin Luther King taught that it is a fact that racism is wrong because it is the unjust treatment of people of other races or ethnicities. Racism is about how you think about and treat people. Postmodern professors teach racism in terms of power. If you have power, then you are racist. If you don’t have power, you can’t be racist. In postmodern thinking, if you have privilege (power) because of your skin color, then your skin color makes you racist, no matter how you think about or treat people.
Older generations define racism based on the teachings of Dr. King. Younger generations are being taught the opposite, postmodern understanding: you are racist because of your skin color. In CRT, believing in Dr. King’s teachings is an indication that you are racist.
Many of us have been taught that rather than fight, we should have respectful, rational-logical discussions with others to come to the truth and act on that truth. Because postmodern thinking rejects logic and truth, rational discussion is absurd. Instead, postmodern thinkers concocted the idea of narrative, a series of statements (not facts) arranged to emotionally manipulate you to submit to them.
Postmodern narrative is a way to exercise power over you through story. They can say whatever they want. They can make the narrative appear to be a logical discussion if that helps them manipulate you. They are free to change the narrative however they want—even to a contradictory story—if it controls you and gets them power. If you argue that they are lying, you miss the point. There is no truth, so there are no lies.
You probably believe that it’s a fact that lying and racism are wrong. They’ll use that against you. By calling you a liar or racist, they can use the emotional weight you give those terms to manipulate you. There is nothing wrong with gaslighting or exploiting you. It’s just another exercise of power.
Postmodern thinking appears to be tolerant because it says you can think and do whatever you want. In practice, postmodern leaders only tolerate what they want. When there is a disagreement with you, they will use power to force you to submit. There is nothing objectively wrong with forcing or even killing you, because again, there are no moral facts, just power.
Finally, by its very nature, postmodern thinking destroys relationships, families, and communities. When everything is a matter of personal perspective, when words mean whatever someone wants them to mean, the common concepts that bind us together like humanity, truth, justice, and morality—break down. As those common concepts fall apart, community becomes impossible.
By their nature, CRT and postmodern thinking cannot defend the powerless, bring justice or give dignity. They use those words knowing that it gives them emotional power over you. In a postmodern world, power always ruthlessly fights its way to the top. Power despises and crushes the less powerful. Justice is when you have power over others. Injustice is when others have power over you.
If you introduce CRT and postmodern thinking to your organization, you will destroy the shared concepts, relationships and trust that are fundamental to your organization’s success. It will inevitably destroy you and your organization. When words mean whatever someone wants them to mean, it is impossible for your organization to have shared core values.
Critical Race Theory and postmodern thinkers will try to bully you into thinking that they have the only possible solution to issues, but that is false.
Only love, community and shared humanity can bring justice, dignity and truth. That’s the opposite of postmodern thinking. Those are fundamental features of a Wisdom Paradigm understanding of life taught and lived by people like Dr. Martin Luther King.
