Fighting Back Against Cancel Culture with Helen Pluckrose
Jan 31, 2021
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Helen Pluckrose, founder of Counterweight and advocate against Critical Social Justice, joins the hosts to discuss the rise of wokeism and challenges of pushing back against it. They also explore unconventional meditation techniques for men, examine a case of cancel culture, criticize the absence of class discourse in discussions of privilege, uncover power structures, and explore the concept of beauty privilege.
Critical social justice ideas have intensified and turned into a genuine attempted cultural revolution, impacting society at large.
Opposing woke ideology while retaining a leftist identity is challenging but important for challenging dominant discourses and advocating for equality and addressing disparities.
Deep dives
The Escalation of Critical Social Justice Ideas
The podcast episode discusses how critical social justice ideas, such as white supremacy, toxic masculinity, and cisnormativity, have intensified and gained power in recent years. These ideas have impacted society at large, beyond universities and activist groups. The episode highlights the triggering event of George Floyd's death and the influence of the pandemic in amplifying these ideas. It argues that these ideas have turned into a genuine attempted cultural revolution that requires pushback.
Navigating the Challenges of Challenging Wokeism
The conversation delves into the difficulty of opposing woke ideology while retaining a leftist identity. The guest talks about being labeled as a fascist or a Nazi for expressing critical views. The host emphasizes the importance of being able to challenge woke ideas and maintain a left-leaning perspective. The discussion focuses on the positive aspects of being left-wing, including advocating for equal opportunity, individuality, and addressing socio-economic disparities.
Understanding Dominant Discourses and the Silencing Effect
The episode explores the concept of dominant discourses and marginalized discourses. It explains how critical social justice ideas reject the notion of a liberal marketplace of ideas, as dominant discourses are seen as oppressive. The belief that one can speak truth to power and identify structural systems of power and privilege is emphasized. The conversation touches on the persuasiveness of such ideas and the difficulty of engaging in meaningful debates due to the rejection of dominant discourses by social justice activists.
Countering Cancel Culture and Supporting Intellectual Diversity
The discussion revolves around the negative impact of cancel culture and the need for organizations like Counterweight to provide support for those facing repercussions for their viewpoints. The guest shares examples of individuals facing disciplinary action or job loss for expressing dissenting opinions. Counterweight aims to connect individuals, offer legal advice, and produce educational resources to help people challenge critical social justice ideas in a safe and knowledgeable manner. The conversation also acknowledges the importance of institutional changes and the need for clearer definitions in legislation regarding philosophical beliefs and viewpoint diversity.
Helen Pluckrose is the founder of Counterweight. The recently formed organisation helps individuals resist the imposition of Critical Social Justice (CSJ) on their day to day lives. Go to counterweightsupport.com to find out more.
Stand-up comedians Konstantin Kisin (@konstantinkisin) and Francis Foster (@francisjfoster) make sense of politics, economics, free speech, AI, drug policy and WW3 with the help of presidential advisors, renowned economists, award-winning journalists, controversial writers, leading scientists and notorious comedians.