What Comes After Woke?

Oct 28, 2024

Mark Kingwell, a philosopher and author of "Question Authority," dives into the necessity and pitfalls of questioning authority in today’s world. He explores how skepticism has transformed into ideological enforcement, leading to a breakdown in discourse. Kingwell raises concerns about the impact on journalism and the creep of authoritarianism in society. The conversation critically examines the balance between accountability and destructive negativity, emphasizing the urgent call for independent journalism in a polarized landscape.

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Intro

00:00 • 5min

Questioning Authority: A Double-Edged Sword

04:36 • 10min

The Balancing Act of Media Criticism

14:15 • 6min

The Consequences of Discourse Breakdown

20:02 • 2min

Navigating Illiberalism and Media Integrity

21:39 • 7min

Media Consumption and Public Discourse

28:10 • 7min

Philosophy, Flourishing, and the Fight for Rational Discourse

35:29 • 5min

The Heartbeat of Montreal's Music Scene: Street Pianos and Spontaneity

40:39 • 4min

Questioning authority is a necessity for a functioning democracy. Continually calling power to account has to be a good thing, right? Maybe not, at least not all the time. So argues today’s guest, philosopher Mark Kingwell.

Have we let “speaking truth to power” degenerate into a Pavlovian response to any and all real, or merely perceived, sources of authority? Has this drive to habitually challenge institutions endangered politics, academia, science, and journalism?

Mark Kingwell joins Jesse to explore these questions which lay at the heart of his new book Question Authority.

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor/ Mixer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Production Manager), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher),

Guest: Mark Kingwell