Der wunde Punkt

Criticism is a popular sport. Everyone criticizes everyone - in the pub, on the internet, at the university. At the same time, the shortcomings of criticism are criticized. It is either too superficial or goes too far, is authoritarian, decorative, or simply ineffective. In the words of Jean-Luc Godard, one could say: "Criticism is not the assessment of reality. Criticism is the reality of assessment." In any case, criticism changes the world - at least indirectly: as a relativistic hyper-critique that sabotages commonalities, as a critique of capitalism that keeps capitalism robust, or as a miserabilism that revels in the evils of the world. Thomas Edlinger explores the fetishization of criticism where it hurts and shows how discontent translates into post-critical attitudes.