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Has "Wokeness" Become a "Religion"?
Manage episode 318000889 series 2497290
In this contentious conversation, Nathan speaks to Prof. John McWhorter about his book Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America. Prof. McWhorter is a linguist at Columbia University, regular New York Times contributor, and host of the Lexicon Valley podcast. His book argues that anti-racist social justice ideology is properly described as a "religion" and that its practitioners are beyond reasoning with. It's a thesis Nathan takes serious issue with and the conversation illuminates deep points of disagreement on questions like:
- Whether something having "religious" qualities makes it irrational
- Whether the people Prof. McWhorter describes are really "beyond reason"
- Whether Prof. McWhorter's characterization of several incidents of excesses by "woke religion" are presented fairly and accurately
- If the California Education Department's new mathematics teaching framework really does, as Prof. McWhorter argues, constitute an abandonment of standards of rigor
- Whether it's right to say that certain questions are "off limits"
- Whether Eminem disproves the idea that there is a prohibition on white people participating in Black culture
- Whether Prof. McWhorter has tried hard enough to engage empathetically with those he disagrees with
The conversation is brief, as Prof. McWhorter had a limited amount of time available, but touches on many of Prof. McWhorter's most provocative theses.
457 episoder
Manage episode 318000889 series 2497290
In this contentious conversation, Nathan speaks to Prof. John McWhorter about his book Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America. Prof. McWhorter is a linguist at Columbia University, regular New York Times contributor, and host of the Lexicon Valley podcast. His book argues that anti-racist social justice ideology is properly described as a "religion" and that its practitioners are beyond reasoning with. It's a thesis Nathan takes serious issue with and the conversation illuminates deep points of disagreement on questions like:
- Whether something having "religious" qualities makes it irrational
- Whether the people Prof. McWhorter describes are really "beyond reason"
- Whether Prof. McWhorter's characterization of several incidents of excesses by "woke religion" are presented fairly and accurately
- If the California Education Department's new mathematics teaching framework really does, as Prof. McWhorter argues, constitute an abandonment of standards of rigor
- Whether it's right to say that certain questions are "off limits"
- Whether Eminem disproves the idea that there is a prohibition on white people participating in Black culture
- Whether Prof. McWhorter has tried hard enough to engage empathetically with those he disagrees with
The conversation is brief, as Prof. McWhorter had a limited amount of time available, but touches on many of Prof. McWhorter's most provocative theses.
457 episoder
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