We welcome everyone to a panel event featuring a discussion of The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy: Why the Right Blames the Frankfurt School for the Decline of the West (Verso, 2026) at the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD). The author AJA Woods will be speaking about their newly-released book, followed by a panel featuring Matt Fluck, Paulina Tambakaki, and Nitasha Kaul, and then there will be a Q&A session involving the audience.
Programme
- 5.30pm-6.15pm: Talk by AJA Woods
- 6.15pm-6.45pm: Panel discussion (Matt Fluck, Paulina Tambakaki, Nitasha Kaul, AJA Woods)
- 6.45pm-7.30pm: Q & A
About the book
The Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory is now a dominant trope in the culture war rhetoric of the contemporary Right. Those who promote it stand for an anti-democratic and inegalitarian conception of politics that represents any attempt to address inequality as a product of Frankfurt School-inspired ‘indoctrination.’ They naturalize sociohistorical hierarchies and work to convince others that radical change is impossible. Not only does this book chart the histories of the Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory, but it also critiques the political visions of those who propagate this damaging idea. This is an essential book for anyone who wants to better understand the ideological currents that are shaping right-wing politics in the twenty-first century.
About the Centre for the Study of Democracy
The Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD), established in 1989, is based in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Westminster. CSD has a long-standing international reputation for research excellence through a programme of publications, events and collaborations with academics, practitioners, policymakers, activists, and governments. We undertake research across a range of critical social and political challenges, promoting an interdisciplinary intercultural environment to encourage new ways of thinking about knowledge, power and identity in international relations.
About the panel
A.J.A. Woods
A.J.A. Woods is an intellectual historian who lives in Brighton, England. In 2022, Woods received a PhD from the Centre for the Study of Theory and Criticism at Western University, Canada. Their writings on conspiracy theories and reactionary politics have been translated into four languages and appeared in Open Democracy, Patterns of Prejudice, and Marx & Philosophy Review of Books.
Paulina Tambakaki
Paulina Tambakaki works in the area of political theory, with a particular focus on theories of radical democracy and contemporary feminist politics. She is the co-editor of the book series Advances in Democratic Theory (Routledge NY) and has published widely on the subject of democracy, with her work appearing in major academic journals. Her most recent monograph is Grieving Democracy: Navigating the Loss of Affect, published by Edinburgh University Press.
Matthew Fluck
Matthew Fluck teaches International Theory at the University of Westminster. His research applies Frankfurt School Critical Theory to study conceptions of truth and progress in International Relations (IR), with a particular focus on ‘transparency’. Most recently, he has explored the connection between utopianism and IR. He is the co-editor of Reclaiming Utopia in International Relations: Problems and Prospects (forthcoming November 2026). His work has appeared in Review of International Studies, European Journal of International Relations, and Journal of International Political Theory, among other outlets.
Nitasha Kaul
Nitasha Kaul is Professor of Politics, International Relations, and Critical Interdisciplinary Studies and Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD). In addition to single-authored and edited books, her work has appeared journals across disciplines including International Studies Review, Review of International Studies, The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, Cambridge Journal of Economics, Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, Security Dialogue, Feminist Review, Journal of Asian Studies. As a public intellectual, she also engages with policymakers and has extensive media experience.
