Final answer:
Critical philosophy marks the turn towards social issues and context in modern philosophy, while veering away from the abstract, universal approaches of the Enlightenment, emphasizing the interplay of power and knowledge.
Step-by-step explanation:
Critical philosophy is a term used to describe the shift in modern philosophy towards context and social issues and away from abstract reasoning and the pursuit of universal knowledge. This movement, known as critical theory, emerged largely from the work done at the Frankfurt School and was influenced by Marxist theories, hermeneutics, phenomenology, and later postmodernism.
Critical theory departs from the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and scientific method by emphasizing the role of power structures in shaping knowledge and by advocating for a philosophy that is practical, socially engaged, and aims to expose and combat oppression.
The foundational belief of this theory is that knowledge is not neutral but rather is reflective of systems of power, necessitating philosophers to be active participants in public discourse. They must illuminate and challenge oppression to create a more equal society. Critical theory also revised Hegelian dialectical movement to be used as a tool for understanding specific historical contexts rather than predicting inevitable outcomes. Jürgen Habermas's notion of communicative action further illustrates the importance of context over objective reasoning in the search for meaning.
Moreover, postmodernism within critical philosophy challenges the very idea of absolute truth and argues for the existence of multiple valid perspectives. By rejecting the Enlightenment's linear, reason-based approach to knowledge, critical philosophy aims to liberate philosophical thought and society at large from marginalizing and oppressive constructs.