Since its introduction into broader public discourse, Critical Social Justice (CSJ) has been referred to by a variety of terms among its critics, including postmodernism, Marxism, neo-Marxism, and postmodern neo-Marxism. In wider cultural discourse, it has also been described as progressivism, far-left activism, and, more colloquially, identity politics. While each of these labels captures certain elements of the phenomenon, none fully accounts for the range of permutations that emerge from its underlying assumptions—particularly those organized around identity, oppressor–oppressed dynamics, and shifting conceptions of power.
Against this backdrop, Arnold Cantú offers a taxonomy of CSJ and its various expressions, drawing clearer distinctions between the ideological strands that comprise its broader intellectual family. Through a careful examination of these offshoots, he further describes what he sees as the expanding application of mental health diagnoses and notions of intersectional identity, particularly in relation to vulnerable populations—such as those identifying as ‘neurodivergent’—who may be at increased risk of misapplication.
Read Arnold Cantú’s blogpost here.
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