Critical discourse analysis as ‘dialectical reasoning’: from normative critique towards action, by way of explanation

This interview traces the origins of critical discourse analysis (CDA) in the 1980s from Norman Fairclough’s point of view. We talk about the political climate and the theoretical context in which his approach grew. Norman Fairclough discusses his understanding of, and cautionary attitude towards, politically engaged research and how it developed over time as combination of normative and explanatory critique. He outlines his current view of CDA as “dialectical reasoning”, which he sees as a basis for critical analysis in the “new times” we are in.