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Over the last several years, organizations and institutions
throughout the West—both public and private—have adopted
comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and
mandated new forms of employee and student training on antiracism,
unconscious bias, gender diversity, cultural sensitivity, and
related topics. The stated goals of these programs are often
reasonable if not noble—to create a more welcoming space and
inclusive environment for all. But such training, when based on the
activist ideology known as Critical Social Justice, crosses an
illiberal line when participants are required to affirm beliefs
they do not hold. Indeed, the mildest questions about or objections
to common teachings in these sessions—that all white people are
racists, that all underrepresented minorities are oppressed or
useful tools of the majority, that sex and gender differences have
no biological basis—are regularly met with pat commands: "Educate
yourself," "Do the work," "Listen and learn." At work, raises,
promotions, and even future employment may well depend on one's
nodding approval during such training. At school, grades,
nominations, and awards may be contingent upon one's active
agreement with these ideological beliefs. When faced with such a
predicament—between silent submission and risky if ethical
opposition—what is a person to do? The Counterweight Handbook
provides individuals with a practical and easily navigable guide to
understanding and addressing the issues that are likely to arise
when this activist ideology is implemented in their organization or
institution. It also teaches them what to do when they are asked to
affirm their commitment to beliefs they simply do not hold, undergo
training in an ideology they cannot support, or submit themselves
to antiscientific testing and retraining of their "unconscious"
minds. It is for everyone who wishes to push back against the
hostile work and educational environments such training inevitably
creates—or who fears being fired, censored, or cancelled for
their sincere beliefs and principled convictions.
Over the last several years, organisations and institutions
throughout the West – both public and private – have adopted
comprehensive diversity and inclusion policies and new forms of
employee and student training on antiracism, unconscious bias,
gender diversity, cultural sensitivity and other related topics.
The stated goals of these programs are often reasonable if not
noble – to create a more welcoming space and inclusive
environment for all. But such training, when based on the activist
ideology known as Critical Social Justice, crosses a clear line
when participants are required to affirm beliefs they do not hold.
The mildest questions about or objections to common teachings in
the sessions – that all white people are racists, that all
underrepresented minorities are oppressed or useful tools of the
majority, that sex and gender differences have no biological basis
– are regularly met with pat commands: ‘Educate yourself,’
‘Do the work,’ ‘Listen and learn.’ At work, raises,
promotions and even future employment may well depend on nodding
approval during such training. At school, grades, nominations and
awards may be contingent upon active agreement with these
ideological beliefs. When faced with such a predicament – between
silent submission and risky if ethical opposition – what is a
person to do? The Counterweight Handbook provides individuals with
a practical and easily navigable guide to understanding and
addressing the issues that are likely to arise when this activist
ideology is implemented in their organisation or institution. It
also teaches them what to do when they are being expected to affirm
their commitment to beliefs they simply do not hold, undergo
training in an illiberal ideology they cannot support, or submit
themselves to antiscientific testing and retraining of their
‘unconscious’ minds. It is for everyone who wishes to push back
against the hostile work and educational environments such training
inevitably creates – or who fears being fired, censored or
cancelled for their deeply held beliefs and principled convictions.
BOOK OF THE YEAR in The Times, the Sunday Times and the Financial
Times Have you heard that language is violence and that science is
sexist? Or been told that being obese is healthy, that there is no
such thing as biological sex, or that only white people can be
racist? Are you confused by these ideas, and do you wonder how they
have managed so quickly to challenge the very logic of Western
society? Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay document the evolution
of the dogma behind these ideas, from its origins in French
postmodernism to its refinement within activist academic fields.
Today this dogma is recognisable as much by its effects, such as
cancel culture and social-media pile-ons, as by its assertions,
which are all too often taken as read: 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 they warn, the unchecked proliferation of these
beliefs present a threat to liberal democracy. While acknowledging
the need to challenge the complacency of those who think a just
society has been fully achieved, Pluckrose and Lindsay break down
how often-radical activist scholarship does far more harm than
good, not least to those marginalised communities it claims to
champion.
This is a book about ideas. Specifically, this is a book about the
evolution of a certain set of ideas, and how these ideas have come
to dominate every important discussion about race, gender, and
identity today. Have you heard someone refer to language as literal
violence, or say that science is sexist? Or declare that being
obese is healthy, or that there is no such thing as biological sex?
Or that valuing hard work, individualism, and even punctuality is
evidence of white supremacy? Or that only certain
people—depending on their race, gender, or identity—should be
allowed to wear certain clothes or hairstyles, cook certain foods,
write certain characters, or play certain roles? If so, then
you’ve encountered these ideas. As this reader-friendly
adaptation of the internationally acclaimed bestseller Cynical
Theories explains, however, the truth is that many of these ideas
are recent inventions, are not grounded in scientific fact, and do
not account for the sheer complexity of social reality and human
experience. In fact, these beliefs often deny and even undermine
the very principles on which liberal democratic societies are
built—the very ideas that have allowed for unprecedented human
progress, lifted standards of living across the world, and given us
the opportunity and right to consider and debate these ideas in the
first place! Ultimately, this is a book about what it truly means
to have a just and equal society—and how best to get there.
Cynical Theories is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and
Publishers Weekly bestseller. Named a 2020 Book of the Year by The
Times, Sunday Times, and Financial Times, it is being translated
into more than fifteen languages.
Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Publishers
Weekly Bestseller! Times, Sunday
Times, and Financial Times Book-of-the-Year
Selection! Have you heard that language is violence and that
science is sexist? Have you read that certain people shouldn't
practice yoga or cook Chinese food? Or been told that being obese
is healthy, that there is no such thing as biological sex, or that
only white people can be racist? Are you confused by these ideas,
and do you wonder how they have managed so quickly to challenge the
very logic of Western society? In this probing and intrepid volume,
Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay document the evolution of the
dogma that informs these ideas, from its coarse origins in French
postmodernism to its refinement within activist academic fields.
Today 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 and Lindsay break down how this often-radical activist
scholarship does far more harm than good, not least to those
marginalized communities it claims to champion. They also detail
its alarmingly inconsistent and illiberal ethics. Only through a
proper understanding of the evolution of these ideas, they
conclude, can those who value science, reason, and consistently
liberal ethics successfully challenge this harmful and
authoritarian orthodoxy—in the academy, in culture, and beyond.
Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Publishers
Weekly Bestseller! Times, Sunday
Times, and Financial Times Book-of-the-Year
Selection! Have you heard that language is violence and that
science is sexist? Have you read that certain people shouldn't
practice yoga or cook Chinese food? Or been told that being obese
is healthy, that there is no such thing as biological sex, or that
only white people can be racist? Are you confused by these ideas,
and do you wonder how they have managed so quickly to challenge the
very logic of Western society? In this probing and intrepid volume,
Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay document the evolution of the
dogma that informs these ideas, from its coarse origins in French
postmodernism to its refinement within activist academic fields.
Today 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 and Lindsay break down how this often-radical activist
scholarship does far more harm than good, not least to those
marginalized communities it claims to champion. They also detail
its alarmingly inconsistent and illiberal ethics. Only through a
proper understanding of the evolution of these ideas, they
conclude, can those who value science, reason, and consistently
liberal ethics successfully challenge this harmful and
authoritarian orthodoxy—in the academy, in culture, and beyond.
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