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James Lindsay on Marx, Education, and the History of “Woke”

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Aug 7, 2025

Guest

James A. Lindsay

In this conversation, James Lindsay, an author and cultural critic focused on wokeness, dives deep into how Marxist ideology has permeated education and society. He discusses his eye-opening experience with the 'Grievance Studies' hoax and how it revealed the troubling state of academia. Lindsay also explores the transformation of Marxism into intersectionality, critiques progressive education, and emphasizes the implications of these ideologies on democracy and personal freedoms. Moreover, he reflects on the role of fatherhood in combating these challenges.

02:47:53

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ANECDOTE

SPLC's Impact on Lindsay's Career

James Lindsay shares how the Southern Poverty Law Center's false accusations impacted his professional opportunities and reputation.
He describes being barred from testifying in the U.S. Senate due to misinformation spread by the SPLC.

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ADVICE

Filter Your Info Intake

Limit your information consumption to avoid misinformation and confusion.
Focus on issues within your direct influence and trust primary sources for better understanding.

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INSIGHT

Wokeness as Religious Catechism

Wokeness functions like a religious catechism with a fixed set of beliefs and rituals.
Understanding the ideology's structure helps demystify and resist its influence.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Navigating Misinformation and Censorship

01:38 • 24min

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Decoding the Language of Wokeness and Its Political Implications

25:42 • 5min

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Unmasking Deception: The Art of Recognizing Trickery

30:55 • 2min

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The Controversy of Progressive Education

33:10 • 13min

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Rousseau, Marxism, and Modern Ideologies

46:33 • 18min

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Marx, Capitalism, and Conflicting Legacies

01:04:37 • 20min

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Class Consciousness and Consumerism

01:24:53 • 7min

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Creativity, Ideology, and Grievance

01:31:42 • 10min

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The Ruthless Climb to Power in Totalitarian Regimes

01:41:56 • 3min

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Ideological Ownership and Education's Impact

01:44:33 • 29min

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The Evolution of Ideologies and Education

02:13:20 • 30min

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The Role of Fatherhood and Personal Commitment to Education

02:43:20 • 5min

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I sat down with James Lindsay to unpack how woke Marxist ideology infiltrated Western society, starting from Marx himself up through the political turmoil of the past decade. While working on the “Grievance Studies” hoax papers alongside Peter Boghossian and Helen Pluckrose, James began to realize that the ideological rot in academia was worse than he thought. Following that experience, he dedicated himself to researching the long intellectual history of wokeness, critical theory, and communism and educating the public about the political, rhetorical, and institutional traps set by the modern Left.

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Check out New Discourses: https://newdiscourses.com/

Follow James on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/ConceptualJames

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Outline:

[0:00] Targeted by the Southern Poverty Law Center

[12:26] Sense-making in the internet age

[25:43] Becoming the top intellectual historian of wokeness

[47:50] How Marxism transformed into intersectionality

[1:04:36] Power politics vs utopian Marxism

[1:24:53] Marxism is inherently anti-democratic

[1:31:42] Are academics are natural marxists?