Cultural Marxism: Shaping Woke culture and identity politics

In recent years, the term “Cultural Marxism” has been used to describe the influence of leftist and Marxist ideas on Western culture, particularly through academia, media, and social activism. While critics often dismiss it as a conspiracy theory, it can be understood through frameworks like Critical Theory, Social Justice movements (commonly referred to as “woke”), and broader ideological shifts in society.

Instead of the proletariat versus the bourgeoisie, cultural Marxism recasts the conflict as marginalised groups versus oppressive majorities.

Origins of Cultural Marxism

The roots of “Cultural Marxism” are tied to the Frankfurt School, a group of German intellectuals who developed Critical Theory in the early 20th century. Figures like Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, and Herbert Marcuse sought to expand upon Karl Marx’s original critiques of capitalism by incorporating insights from sociology, psychology, and cultural studies. They argued that economic oppression could not be fully understood without analyzing the cultural and ideological forces that sustain it.

The Frankfurt School’s key innovation focused on culture as a battleground for power and domination. Unlike traditional Marxism, which emphasized economic structures, cultural Marxism—through the lens of Critical Theory—examined how cultural institutions such as education, media, and religion perpetuate inequality and suppress revolutionary potential.

This shift from economic class struggle to cultural critique marked the beginning of an ideological project to undermine traditional Western values. From this perspective, Cultural Marxism represents an insidious effort to dismantle the foundations of Western civilization, including individualism, meritocracy, and the nuclear family.

Cultural Marxism represents an insidious effort to dismantle the foundations of Western civilization, including individualism, meritocracy, and the nuclear family.

Linking Cultural Marxism to Wokeism

Cultural Marxism has been revived in recent decades to explain the rise of “Wokeism,” a term used to describe the modern preoccupation with social justice, identity politics, and intersectionality. Proponents of the cultural Marxism critique argue that the principles of the Frankfurt School have metastasized into a broader cultural movement that prioritizes grievances based on race, gender, and sexuality over universal values.

Wokeism is the contemporary manifestation of cultural Marxism. It emphasizes cultural and social oppression rather than economic class struggle. By redefining traditional hierarchies of power and morality, Wokeism ostensibly seeks to deconstruct Western norms in favor of a more “inclusive” but deeply fragmented society.

Critics also point to the parallels between Wokeism and the Frankfurt School’s ideas. For instance:

• Critical Race Theory (CRT) builds upon Critical Theory’s framework, focusing on systemic racism as a pervasive force in American society.
• The concept of “privilege” mirrors the Marxist notion of “bourgeois advantage,” applied now to identity categories rather than class.
• Cancel culture is seen as a modern echo of revolutionary purges, silencing dissent to advance ideological conformity.

Wokeism is not merely an organic evolution of social consciousness but a calculated strategy to erode cultural cohesion and create a society divided along identity lines.

Cancel culture is seen as a modern echo of revolutionary purges

Critical Theory’s Role in Cultural Transformation

Critical Theory, the intellectual foundation of Cultural Marxism, challenges traditional notions of objective truth and universal reason. It argues that knowledge and power are intertwined, making cultural norms reflect dominant interests rather than timeless truths. This relativistic approach is paving the way for postmodernism, where all values are deconstructed and reinterpreted through a lens of power dynamics.

All values are deconstructed and reinterpreted through a lens of power dynamics.

This has led to a wholesale rejection of Western heritage. Classical works of literature, art, and philosophy are being re-evaluated—or outright dismissed—through the lens of oppression. Under the influence of Critical Theory, education systems increasingly prioritize narratives of victimhood and systemic injustice over the celebration of historical achievements.

The cultural upheavals of the 21st century are the culmination of decades of intellectual groundwork laid by Cultural Marxists. Whether through affirmative action, the redefinition of gender norms, or the critique of capitalism as inherently oppressive, the cultural and political transformations of the modern West are seen as deliberate attempts to destabilize existing power structures.

The Case Against Cultural Marxism

Cultural Marxism and its offshoots are destructive, divisive, and hypocritical. Among their chief complaints are:

1. Erosion of Individual Freedom: By framing society as a perpetual struggle between oppressor and oppressed, Cultural Marxism sacrifices individual autonomy for collective guilt.
2. Weaponization of Morality: Wokeism replaces classical moral frameworks with a dogmatic, ever-shifting standard of social justice.
3. Cultural Nihilism: By rejecting traditional values, Cultural Marxism leaves society rootless, with no shared sense of purpose or identity.
4. Incoherence and Contradiction: Wokeism’s obsession with identity politics undermines its purported goal of inclusivity, creating new hierarchies and conflicts.

Cultural Marxism is a cultural force with far-reaching consequences. It systematically attempts to transform Western civilization by redefining its values, institutions, and history to serve a radical ideological agenda.

Conclusion

Cultural Marxism is a coherent and deliberate strategy to subvert Western culture.

The ideas associated with Cultural Marxism— through Critical Theory and Social Justice — continue to profoundly shape the cultural and political landscape. This influence threatens the very fabric of Western society. The battle for the soul of culture is far from over.