New Discourses What Woke Really Means
Jan 21, 2026
Explore the evolving meaning of 'Woke' as a mentality rooted in alienation and entitlement. Delve into its intellectual lineage, tracing connections to postmodernism and critical theory. Learn how individual alienation transforms into group identity and class conflict. Discover the dynamics of identity politics, Machiavellian tactics, and the double standards of cancel culture. Unpack the preference for marginalized knowledges and understand how these ideas shape political discourse today.
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Woke Combines Alienation And Epistemology
- James A. Lindsay defines woke as a mentality rooted in entitlement and alienation tied to group identity.
- He also says woke centrally involves an epistemology that prefers marginalized knowledges and critical theory.
Marx's Line Summarizes Woke
- Lindsay cites Marx: 'supersession by retraction of alienation into the self' as a distilled description of woke.
- Woke means retracting a sense of alienation into yourself and adopting a group-based identity.
Identity Politics Are Downstream
- Alienation gets attached to a class or identity group, producing identity politics as a downstream effect.
- Lindsay argues identity politics are derivative of entitlement-driven alienation, not its source.
