What is “Theory” in the Humanities? The Western history of ideas witnessed an explosion of interest in “Theory” with the advent of the 20th century. From the intellectuals of the “Frankfurt School” of critical theory, to Structuralism, and then Poststructuralism, with such French intellectuals as Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault, to the many unique theoretical discourses downstream from these, such as feminist theory and postcolonial theory: interest in Theory and theories have only continued to grow and multiply, even into the 21st century. In this episode of “What Does That Mean?”, our panel takes a stab at the question “what does the term 'theory' mean?” Bios: Lis Fertig is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the University of Michigan. Her research centers on radio and audial culture, and she’s currently finishing her dissertation on gender in Austrian radio drama of the postwar period. Anthony Tello is a first-year PhD student at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. He’s interested in energy and environmental humanities, specifically looking at how narrative form or storytelling can help understand or even obscure the impact of our changing climate. He studies 19th century texts as evidence of the socioeconomic transition to fossil fuels. Wuerxiya is a PhD candidate in Folklore at Indiana University. Her research focuses on folk art with a special concern for traditional textiles across Asia and the craft practices in Southwest China and the Silk Road. Jerome Falk is an MA student in Religion at the University of Manitoba. His research concerns the Christian philosopher Origen of Alexandria and his interaction with Hellenistic philosophy. References: Stanley Fish, “Will the Humanities Save Us?” - The New York Times, 2008 Credits Produced, edited and mixed by Anthony Tello and Lis Fertig. Hosted by Jerome Falk. Cover art by Wuerxiya. Music by Parler and Blue Dot Sessions . This show was created by Jerome Falk, Lis Fertig, Anthony Tello and Wuerxiya as part of the Winter 2024 Podcasting Institute hosted by the National Humanities Center and the San Diego State University Library Digital Humanities Center. Thank you to the NHC and SDSU staff for supporting this project. And special thank you to the voices you heard at the top of the episode, which came from interviews with our friends and family.

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