Critical theory in International Relations (IR) emerged as a response to the dominance of traditional approaches such as realism and liberalism, which largely focused on the state, power, and institutional cooperation. Rooted in the Frankfurt School tradition of thought, critical theory challenges the idea that the world can be studied in a neutral, value-free manner. It insists that all knowledge is shaped by historical, social, and political contexts, and therefore theory itself is never objective but serves certain interests. Thinkers like Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, and later Jürgen Habermas provided the philosophical foundations, while Robert Cox and Andrew Linklater brought these ideas into the field of international relations. Critical theory emphasizes emancipation as its central concern. Unlike traditional theories that seek to explain and predict state behavior, critical theory aims to transform the existing structures of domination and inequality at both domestic and global levels. Robert Cox’s famous distinction, “theory is always for someone and for some purpose,” underlines the point