The Ideological Roots of 'Wokeness'. with Helen Pluckrose and Helen Joyce

Intelligence Squared

Arts, News, Society & Culture, News Commentary

4.2 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 13 October 2020

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this week's episode Helen Pluckrose documents the evolution of the ideas that inform today's radical social justice activism, from its coarse origins in French postmodernism to its refinement within activist academic fields. Pluckrose argues this dogma is recognizable as much by its effects, such as cancel culture and social-media dogpiles, as by its tenets, which are all too often embraced as axiomatic in mainstream media: knowledge is a social construct; science and reason are tools of oppression; all human interactions are sites of oppressive power play; and language is dangerous. As Pluckrose and Lindsay warn, the unchecked proliferation of these anti-Enlightenment beliefs present a threat not only to liberal democracy but also to modernity itself. While acknowledging the need to challenge the complacency of those who think a just society has been fully achieved, Pluckrose break down how this often-radical activist scholarship does far more harm than good, not least to those marginalized communities it claims to champion. The podcast was hosted by the writer and journalist Helen Joyce. You can find out more about the book here: https://amzn.to/3nu0jmw Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Peloton knows that working out takes willpower, discipline, motivation, and a good deal doesn't hurt either to be fair.
0:08.7	Right now get up to 500 pounds of selected Peloton Bike Plus and Tread Packages to help get you up and running or cycling or
0:16.4	or yogaing or boxing or meditating or stretching is kind of a big deal
0:22.2	Off runs 28th of November, 2023, Internet Connection and Peloton, all access membership at 39
0:26.8	per month required. Terms of apply, C1 Peloton.co. UK.
0:30.0	Hey Intelligent Square listeners, producer Fayy Adobeeter here.
0:34.0	I just wanted to let you know about our first Intelligence Squared collection, Black History and Culture.
0:40.0	We're revisiting some of our favorite live events and podcasts in the past 20 years, showcasing
0:46.4	great creators and thinkers, including the co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement,
0:51.5	Alicia Garza, poet and activist Benjamin Zephania, and playwright, novelist,
0:57.1	critic and broadcaster Bonnie Greer.
1:00.2	We also delve into debates such as, should the West pay reparations for slavery and
1:04.7	hip-hop versus Shakespeare. Just search, intelligent squared, black history and culture
1:10.8	wherever you get your podcasts.
1:13.0	Hello podcast listeners, it's Connor from Intelligence Squared.
1:16.0	We hope you've been enjoying the wide range of topics we've been covering on the podcast lately,
1:20.0	and of course we hope you like today's episode. It features Helen Pluckrose
1:24.2	who is the co-author of a new book called Synical Theories. It looks to delve into
1:28.4	the ideological roots of quote-unquote wokeness looking at what ideological forces are driving much of the
1:34.8	conversation around gender race and identity today it's a really fast-ending
1:39.3	conversation and she spoke to Helen Joyce who is a writer formerly of the economist and who was also
1:44.6	writing her own book on gender-based ideology and we hope you enjoy the episode.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Intelligence Squared, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Intelligence Squared and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.