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62 matches in All Departments
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.
In our current political climate, it seems impossible to have a
civil conversation with someone who has a different opinion.
Dialogue is shut down when perspectives clash. Heated debates on
Facebook and Twitter often lead to shaming, hindering any
possibility of productive discourse. How to Have Impossible
Conversations guides readers through the process of having
effective, civil discussions about any divisive issues--not just
religious faith but climate change, race, gender, poverty,
immigration, and gun control. Coauthors Peter Boghossian and James
Lindsay distinguish between two types of conversations: those that
are oriented toward arriving at truth, and those that may require
changing the beliefs of people who do not want their beliefs
changed (interventions). They then guide readers through the
straightforward, practical, conversational techniques necessary for
every successful conversation, up to expert- and master-level
techniques to deal with hardliners and extremists. With key
principles like the "Seven Fundamentals Necessary for Good
Conversations," this book is the manual everyone needs to foster
connection and empathy with anyone.
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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Only Insistence
James Lindsay
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R393
Discovery Miles 3 930
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Ships in 12 - 17 working days
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Reaper (Paperback)
Blair James Lindsay
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R593
Discovery Miles 5 930
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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