OnlySubs Episode 26: The Woke Don’t Understand Society is now available exclusively for New Discourses contributors on the following platforms:
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We often hear from conservative thinkers that the fundamental unit of society is the family, and there’s something to this, of course. This belief shapes their thinking about society in profound ways that are worth engaging with. What we don’t often do is consider the question of what the fundamental unit of society might be for other people who don’t talk about the topic in such stark terms. I, of course, have my own guess (which I give in this episode), but what about academics? What about the Woke? What about Woke academics? In this episode of James Lindsay OnlySubs, my subscribers-only podcast, I make the case that (left-leaning) academics are likely to be biased toward believing the institution is the fundamental unit of society, and this is why so many of their ideas are so disconnected from reality and, ultimately, statist in orientation. This might go some way toward explaining why so many of the worst totalitarian ideas in history have come from professors. Trying to model the society as a giant institution under bureaucratic control is a complete nightmare. Join me here to explore the idea.
Previous episodes of OnlySubs can be found here.
1 comment
Hi James
Your The Woke Don’t Understand Society Ep 26 29/3 21 sure did strike many a familiar cord with me. I am an artist (observant) who is now widowed after a 41 year marriage to a Cambridge ( UK) Mathematics PHD who had a long academic career. From the best man at our wedding who threw all his toys out of the cot when my husband had a more distinguished career than he did to countless others I had long come to the conclusion that many of the ivoried tower beings fail to grow up. Part of it is, I think, that the very bright kids with good memories are treated like little gods and so can’t handle it when things don’t go their way in later life. Having watched this phenomenon around my own kids friends ( you are the same vintage as my elder son) I see this clearly. I think it a mistake to treat children like that although I suppose it is meant to encourage others to try harder.
The fact that I am a white Rhodesian, a cancelled people; shock, horror that a well run successful country with a currency on a par with the $ and £ should be allowed to thrive; the communist putsch determined that western culture should be discredited at all costs. Zimbabwe is now a dysfunctional hell hole. So I have watched posturing academics with minimal experience of Africa pontificate on how it is but almost never ask me questions. Sometimes the revelations of the ignorance were appalling and hilarious but that didn’t stop the arrogant strutting. Once I became thoroughly exasperated on the absolute silence I talked about how it really was, and that is very far removed and much more complex than the slick evil racist white man oppressor spiel we hear so much about. After that the individual concerned ignored me entirely if I passed him in the street. I did this drawing in retaliation https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Drawing-Blessed-Are-The-Morally-Superior-For-They-Shall-Wallow-in-Self-Satisfaction/165964/1959042/view. Incidentally Saatchi art removed my references to sour lefties.
I could go on and on and on the subject with many strange incidents of cultural vandalism at large.
I love what you are doing and am filled with admiration that you and Helen Pluckrose dismantled Critical Race theory in such an effective way. I hope you get the support you deserve for your endeavours,
all the best
Heather Gulliver