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In an interview with the Forschungskolleg, intellectual and cultural historian Gregory Jones-Katz talks about his research project on the history of American philosophy and cultural studies from the 1960s to the present day.
Gregory Jones-Katz (Photo: Stefanie Wetzel)
»Identity and diversity in America and beyond«
Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften (FKH): Mr. Jones-Katz, could you elaborate on your postdoctoral project focusing on what you term »American Theory«? What constitutes »American Theory« in your view and why should we think about it historically?
Gregory Jones-Katz: I currently define »American Theory« as an intellectual and cultural movement that emerged in US higher education in the 1970s, later gaining international traction. This movement centers on exploring questions of difference, marginality and otherness and has shaped many present-day ideas regarding gender identity, race, affirmative action and cultural appropriation. Despite its label, »American Theory« is a hybrid of ideas rooted in various places, including German and French philosophy, as well as Russian literary theories. This hybrid theory that emerged in the United States later gets exported and retransmitted to different parts of the world. For example, one thinker I look at is Jacques Derrida, a French philosopher born in Algeria, whose ideas initially gained widespread popularity in the American university system before being exported elsewhere. Another instance is the intellectual exchange between China and the United States spanning from 1978 to the Tiananmen Square events which, I would argue, contributed to the democracy movement in China during the 1980s. These examples highlight the interconnected nodes and circuits through which ideas travel. By examining the material avenues of dissemination – such as institutions, journals, classrooms, important lectures and books – we can understand how they became popular both within the United States and beyond during the period from the 1970s to the early 2000s.
However, I would argue that this historical moment has passed. The widespread embrace, even euphoria, for American Theory was facilitated by a massive investment in and expansion of universities across the North Atlantic during the late 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. This period saw a surge in university enrollment and faculty numbers, creating an environment where theoretical ideas flourished and were disseminated beyond academia, permeating broader culture. The conditions for the production of these ideas have changed, though. Scholars in the United States now grapple with dwindling support and a backlash against American Theory, signaling a shift in intellectual landscapes and challenges facing the humanities.
FKH: What is your contribution to the Democratic Vistas project, and how does Walt Whitman’s notion that democracy should permeate everyday life inform your work?
Gregory Jones-Katz: My contribution to the Democratic Vistas project resonates with Whitman’s view of democracy as not just a political system, but also an intellectual and existential commitment to liberal values. I view »democracy« not just as a set of laws and institutions, but as a way of life that shapes our everyday existence. American Theory intertwines with democratic ideals as it prompts people to engage with notions such as difference, marginality, and otherness. Despite criticism for being abstract, theory still has real world effects. Reading and debating texts contributes to a deeper understanding of history and culture, thus enhancing democracy. Nonetheless, the effects of theory may not be immediate but can take years to unfold. American Theory influences not only activists but also professionals in various fields, from high school teachers to lawyers and journalists, who carry these ideas beyond academia. Education often has indirect and circuitous influences – sometimes an idea or text from our past learning uncannily returns to us to help us address contemporary challenges. Thus, profound shifts in culture unfold over decades, shaping both societal and personal perspectives.
FKH: How has your time in Bad Homburg shaped your research so far? What significant insight have you gained in the past months?
Gregory Jones-Katz: At the Forschungskolleg, I am researching and writing a book chapter on the gender dimension and other diversity aspects of American Theory. In the past months, I’ve been encouraged to think »extra-historically« – that is, more about the political aspects of my work. I’ve been pressed to answer the question: What, if any, is my critique of American Theory? In addition, I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the nature of many transatlantic intellectual exchanges between America and Europe, witnessing firsthand how ideas, projects, and people transcend institutional and regional boundaries.
FKH: How has being at the Kolleg and interacting with your colleagues in Frankfurt and Bad Homburg benefited you so far?
Gregory Jones-Katz: The Forschungskolleg in Bad Homburg is a rare and special place – the environment, facilities, colleagues and staff make the stay truly memorable. Being part of this close-knit community offers a quiet and comfortable atmosphere, conducive to deep thinking and reflection. The daily lunches provide a platform for engaging discussions on various topics, enriching my ideas. Moreover, my colleagues’ diverse backgrounds and experiences enhance my project by challenging the tendency to think in national silos. This interdisciplinary exchange fosters a broader perspective and contributes to a more nuanced understanding of my research. Additionally, my connections with the comparative literature program and the history department at Goethe University have further opened up my intellectual world – not only to Germany, but Europe as a whole.
FKH: With its John McCloy Transatlantic Forum, the Democratic Vistas project aims to reach out to a wider public. How have you contributed to it so far? How would you describe the impact such activities can have and what has it meant to you personally to be a part of it?
Gregory Jones-Katz: With Professor Johannes Voelz, I held a workshop on democracy as a way of life in public spaces for high school students in Wiesbaden. I spoke about my experiences of democracy – or its lack – in public spaces like Tiananmen Square in Beijing and Liberty Square in Taipei. The contrast between the two could not be sharper, in part because of the freedom of movement and expression allowed in the latter. I must say that students were very interested and engaged, immediately making connections between the topic at hand and their own uses of public spaces to cultivate democratic forms of life. They gave examples like the protests against the AfD that were happening at the time but also rock concerts and the carnival. In the end, the idea that democracy is not just a political system, but also a manner of living and thinking in everyday life made sense to the students, so much so, in fact, that many of them wanted to continue talking after the bell had rung.
Questions: Monika Hellstern
Dr. Gregory Jones-Katz is an American historian working in the field of cultural and intellectual history. After obtaining his Ph.D. in American History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2016, Greg then worked as a lecturer and assistant professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in Shenzhen for six years until he left China in 2022 under the pressure of increasing authoritarianism. In the 2022/2023 academic year, he taught at the University of Duisburg-Essen. Greg has held fellowships at the Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen (KWI) and at the Center for Advanced Study at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. His first book Deconstruction: An American Institution was published by the University of Chicago Press in 2021. At the Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften, he is working on his second book project Empire of American Theory and the Triumph of Neoliberalism 1965–2008 aiming to provide a comprehensive history of American Theory and its wider influence in the United States from the 1960s to the 2000s
Source: Booklet, »Das John McCloy Transatlantic Forum: Rückblick 2023«, p. 12, available online (Link)
