Walking My Own Path Towards Democracy and Social Justice

What are the critical traditions of critical theory and critical pedagogy? How do they shed light on the concept of criticality? And how is criticality scholarship able to further enhance the conceptualisation and the usability of criticality? In pursuing these inquiries I argue that part of the intellectual foundation for the concept of criticality includes critical theory and critical pedagogy. I argue that reflection on the relations between theory and practice demonstrates the emancipatory power of criticality. Criticality scholarship, I suggest further, can utilise this notion to empower critical beings to move from mere critique and self-reflection to transformative action. Given the premise that human flourishing buttresses criticality scholarship, I argue that criticality offers the critical being the opportunity to live an examined life, be a meaningful participant in society and act in the world as a socially transforming agent and bring about a more humane and just world. Here criticality is operating at a collective as well as an individual level. Finally, linking criticality with democracy and social justice, I argue that criticality can further the societal purpose of improving justice for everyone by transforming emancipatory spirit into transformative action.