The Critical Theory Roundtable 2026 ran from October 23 to 25, 2026, at Denison University, and its dates have now passed. According to Denison’s announcement, the October 23 session was scheduled for 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Cherry Valley Hotel, while the October 24 and 25 programs were set for Knobel Hall, Room 217.
The small conference brought together scholars from philosophy, political theory, sociology, history, legal theory, and literary theory to examine new perspectives on critical theory and the social questions it raises for you as a reader.
Key Takeaways
- The Critical Theory Roundtable 2026 ran from October 23 to 25, 2026, at Denison University, and since its dates have now passed, you should direct questions about its materials to Professor Barbara Fultner, the contact Denison named.
- The Critical Theory Roundtable 2026 addressed neoliberalism, globalization, and nationalism, bringing together scholars from six disciplines: philosophy, political theory, sociology, history, legal theory, and literary theory.
- Critical theory is best understood as a family of approaches aimed at critiquing and transforming society, so you should grasp that broad purpose before turning to specific thinkers.
- Adorno’s concept of damaged life, developed in Minima Moralia: Reflections from Damaged Life, asks you to notice how market logic and global flows reach into your daily habits and relationships.
- For your own reading, you should try Adorno’s Minima Moralia, whose short aphorisms are manageable in a few sittings, and pair it with one work of critical race theory to compare two strands of the field.
Denison’s Roundtable Dates and Venues
Denison University’s Critical Theory Roundtable has now concluded. The university scheduled it for October 23 to 25, 2026, as a small conference gathering scholars from the humanities, arts, and social sciences.
The opening session took place on the evening of October 23 at the Cherry Valley Hotel, a separate venue that set the first day apart from the rest of the program.
The two days that followed were held in Knobel Hall, Room 217. On October 24, the program ran from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., a full day of sessions. On October 25, it ran from 9 a.m. to 12:10 p.m., closing shortly after noon.
The Department of Philosophy, the Titus Hepp Fund, and the Offices of the President and Provost sponsored the event. The university named Professor Barbara Fultner as the contact for further information.
Why Critical Theory Is Under Fresh Scrutiny
The roundtable set out to test critical theory against the pressures of the present. Denison said the conference would address neoliberalism, globalization, and nationalism, and that it aimed to diversify perspectives and develop new critical approaches across the social sciences, humanities, and arts. It also described the event as exploring recent work across heterodox and multiple traditions of critical theory, a phrase suggesting that organizers were less interested in a single school than in the field’s many branches.
For readers new to the field, critical theory is best understood as a family of approaches rather than a single doctrine. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines it broadly as theories aimed at critiquing and transforming society, combining normative perspectives with empirically informed social analysis. Its contemporary strands have engaged feminist theory, critical race theory, and postcolonial and decolonial theory, which is why the field looks quite different now than it did in its earlier forms.
Adorno, the Frankfurt School, and Damaged Life
The Frankfurt School is the tradition most often associated with the term critical theory. Theodor W. Adorno, one of its central figures, gave the idea of damaged life its best-known form in Minima Moralia, whose subtitle reads Reflections from Damaged Life. For Adorno, the phrase describes how modern social conditions can distort personal and collective existence, so that even private choices bear the marks of the system around them.
The roundtable did not announce a session on Adorno, and nothing in its program points to a single text at its center. Its stated interest in multiple traditions of critical theory, though, leaves room for Frankfurt School ideas to sit beside feminist, critical race, and decolonial work.
Adorno’s concept still resonates with the neoliberalism and globalization themes Denison named. It asks you to notice how market logic and global flows of goods and money reach into daily habits, relationships, and your sense of a good life.
Who the Roundtable Brought Together
The roundtable was sponsored by Denison’s Department of Philosophy, the Titus Hepp Fund, and the Offices of the President and Provost. Its backing therefore came from both an academic department and university administration.
The scholars who took part represented six disciplines: philosophy, political theory, sociology, history, legal theory, and literary theory. A historian and a legal theorist could thus examine the same questions as a literary critic or a sociologist, which suited a program built around many traditions of critical theory.
Professor Barbara Fultner was named as the contact for more information, the most direct route for anyone who wanted to ask about the sessions.
Why These Themes Matter Beyond the Seminar Room
Critical theory asks how social structures shape ordinary life, from the jobs you take and the prices you pay to the stories a nation tells about itself. Those questions connect directly to the debates Denison named, including neoliberalism, nationalism, and global exchange.
Readers often ask how critical theory differs from critical race theory. The second is one strand within the wider critical theory family, focused on how racial hierarchies are built into law and institutions. If you are new to the field, start with the broad aim of critique and social transformation, then move to specific thinkers once that purpose is clear.
The roundtable’s mix of philosophy, law, literature, and sociology shows why these ideas travel. A legal theorist studying how rules entrench inequality and a literary critic reading how novels expose power can be asking the same question from different directions.
Where to Follow the Roundtable’s Next Steps
The roundtable has concluded, so questions about its materials or outcomes should go to Professor Barbara Fultner, the contact Denison named. Readers interested in future Denison philosophy events can follow the announcements of the Department of Philosophy.
The event reflects how critical theory is being reexamined across disciplines in response to current social and economic change. Denison’s stated concerns of neoliberalism, globalization, and nationalism point to the questions participants were invited to test against older frameworks and to ask what those frameworks still explain.
Following Up on the Roundtable
If you want to follow up on the roundtable, start by contacting Professor Barbara Fultner, the contact Denison named for more information. Ask her about the papers presented or whether any materials from the October 23 to 25, 2026 sessions are available. She is the most direct source for questions about what happened in Knobel Hall, Room 217.
For your own reading, try Adorno’s Minima Moralia itself. Its short aphorisms are manageable in a few sittings, and they show how the idea of damaged life applies to everyday habits and relationships. Pairing it with one work of critical race theory lets you compare two strands of the field side by side.
