Saying the quiet part out loud: analyzing rationality and whiteness in the Dutch public sphere through the discussion of cultural marxism

Cultural marxism has become subject of debate within the Dutch public sphere. At the same time, western civilization and the public sphere is put at stake in these discussions. Therefore the discussion of cultural marxism is a discussion of the limits to the Dutch public sphere. In this thesis I analyze how the Dutch liberal public sphere is imagined and (re)constructed by and through the discussion of cultural marxism. Habermas imagines the liberal public sphere as a place where well-informed, rational debate takes place about any subject. I show that rationality is still the predominant condition within the Dutch liberal public sphere and I sought to demonstrate that this claim on rationality is one that is characterized and configured by whiteness. Moreover, rationality and whiteness determine the issues discussed within the public sphere, excluding people that do not adhere to the rules of whiteness. Analyzing the discussion of cultural marxism thus helps understand the presuppositions, accessibility and conditions of issue formation in the Dutch public sphere.