The New Discourses Podcast with James Lindsay, Episode 27
There is a fair amount of criticism of my recent book Cynical Theories (written with Helen Pluckrose) out there now, mostly from philosophers who aren’t up to the task. It is both fair and correct to say that the book isn’t perfect. Given their inability to criticize the book adequately, however, I decided to take matters into my own hands and am discussing the issue at length in this episode of the New Discourses Podcast. Join me to hear what I think of these philosophers’ criticisms (not much!) and what a proper criticism of the work would look like (and why the book “falls short” in this way).
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4 comments
I Am reading “Cynical Theories” ,and is at complex, (yet so very simple), by you and Helen. And I have just read George Orwells “Homage to Catalonis”. And I have this feeling that the Post Modern woke neo- and cultural- etc- Marxism is an absolute and totalitarian idea. They dont like our culture, economic system and leagal individual rights and priviliges. They want absolute control over everybody and everything via a radical change of society. The leftist Ideas you cover in the book “Cynical Theories” are all absolute and totalitarian, dressed up to be science, but policy based science isnt science. All they want is to create and spread bitter resentment/hate. They tried first with the idea of Dictatorship of the proletariat, but the working class didnt fall for it in most Western countries. So today they try the Dictatorship of the Nature, Environment, Climate, race, gender and identity etc.. etc.. What they want is politics without debate or questions. We have to be shut up with their idea of Hate Speech.
Excellent listen. As a visual person, I want to physically map out all of these connections to explain the modern Woke influences, but I’m afraid the result would look too much like the “conspiracy theory guy” meme.
It might be necessary anyway.
Great discourse, especially about Foucalt, more-so than other critics, per se.
Where is a transcript?
Another critique of Cynical Theories from last year: https://norbertfrancis.medium.com/how-the-progressive-movement-will-be-rebuilt-5354db3261eb