Lawrence Grossberg's On the Way to Theory traces the evolution of deep critical theories from the Enlightenment routes of Descartes, Hume, and Spinoza through modern philosophy, including Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud. It provides a comprehensive theoretical backstory covering phenomenology, structuralism, and contextualist critique from figures like Foucault and Hall. The work fundamentally challenges foundationalism, universalism, and humanism, advocating for innovative, essential ways of thinking to navigate urgent contemporary problems.