Laying out the conceptual foundations of critical security studies, the author of this book uses the ideas of the Frankfurt School to advance critical thought about security, strategy, and the relationship between the theory and practice of security. He presents an overview of the ideas of the Frankfurt School's main thinkers - Horkheimer, Adorno, Habermas, Honneth, and Beck - and applies their insights to the study of security. His analysis challenges many of the assumptions underlying both the traditional and some alternative approaches to security studies.