The Jim Rutt Show

EP 197 Susan Neiman on Why Left Is Not Woke

Sep 7, 2023

Susan Neiman, author of 'Left Is Not Woke', discusses wokeness, the reactionary assumptions of wokeness, making leftism and socialism acceptable terms, disentangling left & woke, progressivism as a child of the Enlightenment, refuting the idea of reason as an instrument of violence, rates of police killings by race, liberal universal humanism, identitarianism, and the belief that everything is power.

01:21:09

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Episode guests

Susan Neiman

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Quick takeaways

The 'woke' culture, while aligned with left-wing values, has problematic philosophical assumptions that undermine its progressiveness, such as ethnic or gender identity tribalism.

The Enlightenment and reason promote universal humanism by encouraging critical thinking, consideration of different cultures, and dismantling oppressive systems.

The focus on narrow tribal identities within the woke movement ignores the multiplicity of identities people possess and undermines the potential for building solidarity and understanding across different cultures.

Deep dives

The Phenomenon of 'Woke'

The podcast episode explores the concept of 'woke' and its connection to the left. The term 'woke' refers to a phenomenon characterized by a heightened awareness of social issues and an active stance against oppression and marginalization. However, the guest, Susan Neiman, argues that while the emotions behind being 'woke' align with left-wing values, there are problematic philosophical assumptions that undermine its progressiveness. Neiman suggests that the focus on ethnic or gender identity tribalism within 'woke' culture limits the potential for true universalism and solidarity. She also highlights the danger of reducing complex human identities to only two points and emphasizes the importance of recognizing the wider range of identities people hold.

Introduction

2min

The Problematic Aspects of Being 'Woke'

19min

Progressivism and the Enlightenment: Challenging Eurocentric Values

18min

The Consequences of Destroying Reason and the Rise of Tribalism

2min

Challenging 'Wokey Discourse'

13min

The Importance of Honesty and Universal Humanism

24min

The View of Everything as Power and the Importance of Hope

3min

Jim talks with Susan Neiman about the ideas in her latest book, Left Is Not Woke. They discuss the history & meaning of wokeness, the underlying reactionary assumptions of wokeness, making leftism & socialism acceptable terms, how the New Left of the Sixties set leftism back for a generation, disentangling left & woke, the right & tribalism, progressivism as a child of the Enlightenment, normative vs descriptive claims, refuting the idea of reason as an instrument of violence, why Hume doesn't belong to the Enlightenment, the danger of sheer subjectivity, data & empiricism, rates of police killings by race, liberal universal humanism, the term liberalism, identitarianism, the blacklisting of Paul Robeson, the idea that altruism is simply power politics, the appeal to the Stone Age brain, hope vs optimism, and much more. Episode Transcript Left Is Not Woke, by Susan Neiman Why Grow Up?: Subversive Thoughts for an Infantile Age, by Susan Neiman Susan Neiman is an American philosopher and writer. She has written extensively on the Enlightenment, moral philosophy, metaphysics, and politics. Her work shows that philosophy is a living force for contemporary thinking and action.

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The Jim Rutt Show

EP 197 Susan Neiman on Why Left Is Not Woke

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Phenomenon of 'Woke'

The Enlightenment and Reason

The Pitfalls of Tribal Identity

Importance of Reason and Universalism

The Need for A Universalist Project

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts