The Future Team of SNU Contemporary Korean Studies is hosting a colloquium featuring a lecture and discussion with Professor Yong-Taek Jung.

Title: Moishe Postone: A Critical Theory that Criticizes Critical Theory
Speaker: Yong-Taek Jung (Research Professor, Institute for Theological Thought, Hanshin University)
Date & Time: Monday, May 26, 2025, 4:00–6:00 PM
Location: Room 501, IBK Communication Center (Building 64), Seoul National University

This presentation will explore the possibilities of contemporary critical theory through the ideas of Moishe Postone (1942–2018), a Jewish Canadian critical theorist active in the United States. In response to the discourse on the "end of criticism (theory)" proposed by Latour and Rancière, the speaker will analyze how Postone's critical theory functions as a "critical theory that criticizes critical theory."Focusing on the "treadmill effect" concept in Postone's major work, Time, Labor, and Social Domination: A Reinterpretation of Marx’s Critical Theory (1993/2003), the presentation will shed light on capitalism’s fundamental contradictions and the dynamics of its paradoxical historical development. Key themes will include the distinction between material wealth and value, the dialectic of abstract and historical time, the paradox of value adjustment following productivity growth, labor surplus and value necessity, and more.n Unlike traditional critical theories based on binary oppositions or inversion logic, Postone’s work engages with the movement of capital as a “moving contradiction.” Additionally, the presentation will examine the expansion of Postone’s critical theory into the analysis of financial capitalism and its contemporary applicability. Finally, the discussion will extend to Postone’s controversial "modern anti-Semitism theory," analyzing its relevance to the "exterminationist" politics of hatred seen in Korean far-right Christian movements. This will serve as a practical verification of his theory’s real-world utility. Ultimately, this presentation seeks to explore how Postone's work opens new horizons for critical theory amid its current crisis and how it contributes to understanding various contemporary social issues.

We welcome all interested participants.

Contact: Teaching Assistant Yong-Rae Jung (jyongr422@snu.ac.kr)