Has "Wokeness" Become a "Religion"?

In this contentious conversation, Nathan speaks to Prof. John McWhorter about his book Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America. Prof. McWhorter is a linguist at Columbia University, regular New York Times contributor, and host of the Lexicon Valley podcast. His book argues that anti-racist social justice ideology is properly described as a "religion" and that its practitioners are beyond reasoning with. It's a thesis Nathan takes serious issue with and the conversation illuminates deep points of disagreement on questions like:

- Whether something having "religious" qualities makes it irrational

- Whether the people Prof. McWhorter describes are really "beyond reason" 

- Whether Prof. McWhorter's characterization of several incidents of excesses by "woke religion" are presented fairly and accurately 

- If the California Education Department's new mathematics teaching framework really does, as Prof. McWhorter argues, constitute an abandonment of standards of rigor 

- Whether it's right to say that certain questions are "off limits" 

- Whether Eminem disproves the idea that there is a prohibition on white people participating in Black culture 

- Whether Prof. McWhorter has tried hard enough to engage empathetically with those he disagrees with 

The conversation is brief, as Prof. McWhorter had a limited amount of time available, but touches on many of Prof. McWhorter's most provocative theses.