Cynical Theories: Living in a Woke World

Sick of getting harassed by “woke” ideas?
Worried about oppressive worldviews becoming entrenched in academia and American culture in the name of social justice?
You’re not the only one.
Scholars Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay are, too. And they’re fighting back.
In 2018 they made international headlines-including on the front page of the New York Times-for spearheading the “Grievance Studies Affair.” They exposed the problems in “social justice” scholarship...and the incoherence of woke ideas...by publishing bogus academic papers in peer-reviewed journals.
In this webinar, Pluckrose and Lindsay walk you through the realities, inconsistencies, and hidden dangers of critical theories-and show you the practical strategies for offering something better.
These are no right-wing warriors. Both are self-described left-leaning liberals sounding the alarm about the dangers of political and social activism.
The question is: Will we listen?
This webinar was recorded October 10, 2020.
Interested in more events like this? Or even hosting one yourself? Get involved with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute at isi.org/join-community/?....

[@GerardEarley]

I'd donate to Helen getting a better broadband connection 👍

[@leonjanderson7502]

Problem isnt her broadband connection. Its the Broadband throttling method used by companies in the UK. All broadband companies can choke off your connection so that the network doesnt go down completely. They slow down everyone to a crawl so that thier network isnt overloaded. Everyone lags but everyone get some small speed of connection. Doesn't mater if you have a 200mb contract it's in the terms of service. Google Internet/Broadband Throttling if you want to understand it how it works. Also check out 'load shedding' on the electricity networks in South Africa.

[@Frederer59]

Murphy's Law. Golden words in but gobbledygook out .

[@jordydrop]

Sounds like WiFi lag to me. She should plug in her Ethernet cable.

[@GerardEarley]

@@jordydrop "WiFi lag" sounds kind of like a psudo-science term, like "reverse the polarity of the neutron flow".

[@jordydrop]

@@GerardEarley i could have said, "the lag is caused by a poor wifi connection. plug in an ethernet cable."

[@pats725]

Sophistry wins because the general public is not well educated. The American educational system needs a complete overhaul.

[@kbcooksey134]

It absolutely does. I've started giving my son activities on the side e.g. basic grammar because there are just giant holes in his basic understanding of it.

[@DonnaBrooks]

@@kbcooksey134 Do they even teach grammar in schools anymore? The grammar I see online is horrible and unfortunately, it's not just from young people, but from adults in professions that should know better!

[@rageagainstmyhatchet]

... A hero sacrifices themselves for the greater good, where others are too scared or weak to tread. You two are my heroes.

[@DiStitt]

It's like a new brand of enlightenment that wants the light not to shine. My experience when pushing back (having what I would call a robust discussion) was clearly identified by James; exerting power by name-calling, shaming and rubbishing. BUT, has given me insight into what is out there, for which I am grateful.

[@just_another32]

Thanks you two! Your work has helped me understand this stuff.

[@Donatellangelo]

"Hate" is a good one. Really, you can't really have actual hate without ignorance, and the people throwing the word "hate" around are some of the most hateful people I've ever seen.

[@Donatellangelo]

@jhan bass Spite, I believe the word you are looking for is spite.

[@justifiably_stupid4998]

Rethinking everything isnt a problem, but one must start and end in objective reality.

[@JH-ji6cj]

Helen's audio is absolutely horrible. Choppy and disjointed. I hope it gets better as they go on.

[@GerardEarley]

Helen is a brilliant speaker (and I wish she'd do more public speaking) but this audio really lets her down. 😭

[@davethepants]

It really breaks my heart as a WiFi professional. Because this is >90% a WiFi problem. One that would most likely be easily fixable with a few new devices, too.

[@MimiRAM0NE]

@@davethepants Her mic or lack of mic is also a huge problem.

[@gg_rider]

@@davethepants (Fast forward to the James part.) Unfortunately, Helen's internet upload bit rate (bandwidth) is so pathetically weak that the digital audio just falls apart. Helen would do well to blank her video when she wants to speak, save more bandwidth for the audio stream. That could be WiFi or it could be the bandwidth tier of the internet provider, usually sufficient for download or incoming but can be insufficient for upload or outgoing.

[@lokiwun]

The audio is better if you download the video

[@ericadler9680]

Destroying people's self-confidence is a classical way of dominating people and making them do what you want in cults.

[@burleybater]

So much of this reminds me of everything I ever read about Maoist China's ideological bullying tactics. And I read a lot. Once I started it was hard to stop. Then I moved on to Cambodian Pol Pot's Khymer Rouge. For some reason, don't know why - these always twigged with me more than the Soviet model. The dribs and drabs of North Korean stories....Romeo Dalaire's Shake Hands with the Devil (Rwanda.) Which all leaves me to ponder how a truly systemic and pervasive practice of concentrated hate-indoctrination (and any idea of "justice" based on it) - is never a good idea. And yeah. Helen's audio made me think my device was diseased. Turns out that it's just bad audio, which is a damned shame. As to the lack of views and comments: I suspect the outcome of the recent election may mean that some several dozen millions of Americans may in short order be up against this shyte - in their classrooms, courts, places of employment. But I figure even if the fruitbats beleive they can own, control truth (as a system of power) they'll never be able to control reality. Which is a bit of comfort, that. Reality has a lovely if terrible way of dispensing with human fantasy - whenever and however it damned well pleases.

[@robbiemedica2652]

Anyone calling these two grifters is off their rocker. As if a grifter could have such a bad internet connection, fighting the woke clearly doesn't pay that well.

[@johnatkinson7479]

There is simply no way to give them what they claim they want If you take economics..if all whites were to give all there money and property to other groups they might then say “you have only done that to gain favour” or “it shouldn’t have been your privilege to do so in the first place” or even “the fact that you are able to give things away is proof of privilege” it’s check mate which ever way you slice it In there world you can never simply prove you are not racist..and even if a racist gives everything away he would still be a racist (in there twisted world) If this is how they truly feel and I think they do it is a good job that we still hold majority status in the western world, because if we didn’t you can only assume such a dispised group would be treated horribly by this mindset If any group anywhere truly believes that the only reason they suffer is because of another group we are heading into very dark times

[@morgantaylor517]

Well said. One can't ever do enough for the Marginalized. What they want ultimately is power, power & control over all the groups that they believe have had power in the past. They want to shame and degrade and make people feel dirty and ugly over immutable characteristics like their skin color. It seems almost vengeful. Very bizarre and I can't think these people have good mental health.

[@johnatkinson7479]

A lot of this stuff without a doubt is based on wanting revenge

[@SuperAnders63]

So. These theories we are now seeing being applied throughout the western world as undeniable truths seem to be purely applicable to societies consisting of predominantly white ethnicity. Diversity and inclusion seem to be the means to apply these theories and change these white ethnic societies. Who determines if these white societies have changed enough so that none of this applies and when ? Would one solution be to stop diversity and inclusion and leave everyone to choose where they want to live and work. In so doing they would have to respect and accept the predominant value, beliefs and norms of that society.

[@antlures845]

Thanks Helen

[@gregoryteeple9306]

I am reading your book. Thank you so much for the work you have done.

[@justifiably_stupid4998]

It seems like something got clipped from this video. We are missing introductions, purpose, and dialog.

[@mavericktheace]

A modem dialing up in conversation with a photograph of James Lindsay.

[@MichaelaLonning]

Hee. Hilarious synopsis!

[@boudicca9807]

Many American listeners won't understand the 'motte and bailey' allusion. As a Brit I was taught about the motte and bailey castles that were built by the Norman invaders. If you can picture such a castle, you will be better able to picture what James is talking about. The motte was an accessible area of the castle open to the locals. The bailey was the highly defended tower inside the motte, occupied by the baron.

[@TheOtherCola]

Gotta up your bandwidth. Lots of broken sentences. Sometimes hard to track.

[@Stolat79]

There is a third option to the shopkeeper dilemma; a.) address white person first: racist b.) address black person first: racist c.) ask the white person and the black person “which of you can I help first?” By choosing the third option you have passed the racism off onto the two shoppers and avoided complicity in racism. WIN!

I'm a guitarist, I'm seriously afraid what might happen to me if I oppose the "woke" ideology. That would probably be career suicide, and I'll be labelled with a lot of awful labels, like racist, fascist, nazi ,misogynist etc. None of these are true, but as James said, what I *actually* believe is irrelevant in this context.

[@johncitizen3227]

🙌love your work.👍

[@burtmacklin6443]

2:10, could have sworn Helen said "Puppet Shaming" which while incorrect might actually be just as effective if not more.

[@DonnaBrooks]

LOL! OMG, it DOES sound like she's saying, "puppet shaming!" Thanks for pointing that out & giving the timestamp! That's hilarious!

[@p.petrovic1119]

"The question is: Will we listen?".... Yes, but please improve your audio. I only listened through the entire webinar, because the content was so brilliant, and so to the point. I would like to recommend the video to friends, but with such audio quality, people who are not highly interested in the topic will likely drop out. That would be a pity.

[@kristopherthomas7166]

You know, usually when you can’t argue your way out of an argument, that’s called “losing an argument.” That’s what adults call it.

[@sifridbassoon]

i had to stop listening. the sound was impossible.

[@emilymorales5887]

This is excellent. I just purchased the book “Cynical Theories,” making this a great primer. Thank you.

[@ianl5882]

Thanks for sorting this out for all of us! I’m getting it and feel evermore ready to defend the republic from the scourge ;

[@frankmolnar2459]

Woke is dying as you speak. Well done you two. The enlightened world thanks you. As for the unenlightened world, they'll thank you later, when Woke is Dead.

[@johnstewart7025]

I agree that any theory that can't be falsified is very suspicious. However, I agree with the prediction that someone with a privilege will find it difficult to see it. Reminds me of the idea that we aren't going to notice something we are paid to ignore.

[@gg_rider]

Helen would do well to blank her video when she wants to speak, to save more of the available upload bandwidth for the audio stream. Helen's download bandwidth may be totally adequate. Internet providers normally set aside more juice/resources/bandwidth for the incoming signal than the outgoing signal, by some ratio. They tell you that when you decide what tier to pay for. This problem could come down to LOCATION of Helen's WiFi antenna in the house in relation to the user, or possibly the CELL TOWER if she is using that instead of in-home WiFi, or else it's likely the home internet provider, either cable or DSL. (Speaking from a USA understanding, their sit. could be different across the pond.) Satellite, last I checked, broadcasts a big fat cell signal to your TV and phones, as long as clouds and storms aren't too bad, but the skinny bitty upload signal uses DSL over the old telephone lines. It could also be Skype, I suppose. Zoom can automatically throttle video, I think, based on sensing of the stream integrity by their servers, but I don't think the user can purposely change settings to throttle your own video stream. I looked once. I don't know how Skype handles that, but my last employer was dumping Skype for Zoom.

[@michaelgeiger4043]

I would like to hear more about Standpoint Epistemology.

[@ebflegg]

Listen to other talks by Helen. It’s to do with speaking from the ‘standpoint ’ of what lived experience/oppression you know about because of your identity, which trumps any other form of knowledge

[@nathanhancock1030]

Helen is on fire straight out of the blocks! I love listening to her, but it’s a bit too rushed...

[@ericadler9680]

I think this kind of madness will disappear. In the early 80s, female students here in Germany were claiming that heterosexual sex was rape of the woman because of penetration, but that shouting died off after a few years.

[@nathanhancock1030]

Better get another coffee, James!

[@lanny7683]

Very interesting. Audio quality is not of this era though... :P

[@johnpaparella7345]

I Googled Max Headroom and this was first in response.

[@michaelgeiger4043]

As an employee in the shop analogy at 30:00, could the dilemma not be solved by allowing the two customers to move about the shop freely and then "help" the first customer who comes to the counter and asks for your help?

[@MichaelaLonning]

Nope, not under critical race theory. Because it's our job if we believe Robin's book, that we need to presuppose racism no matter what and the job is to identify precisely how that's a racist action. In this case, a critical race adherent may say that you assume the customers have the same ability to approach you.....but obviously the black person needs special accommodation to approach because of their ancestral and societal trauma. They'll find the flaw in whatever is done or not done.

[@johnstewart7025]

Claiming my authority or earning authority -- MLK and civil rights movement is an example of earning it through nonviolent protest.

[@paxtonanthonymurphy3733]

A lot of audio problem.

[@Alex-kk8is]

The fact that James has better broadband connection is due to his privilege and it shows 🤭

[@Alex-kk8is]

Love you James Lindsay!!!

[@StewE17]

White privilege.

[@Ass0280]

No all IT guys/gals are equal.

[@DonnaBrooks]

LOL. Why is it that when Helen was talking, you kept a 2-shot the entire time, even though James never said a word, but when James was talking, you gave him full screen? That was kinda inexplicable, inconsistent, awkward, & weird. LOL [ETA: "inconsistent"]

[@rustybolts8953]

i am an alien. Now you know I'm not an alien because no real alien would say that. Now that I have denied being an alien you know I must be an alien because that's what an alien would say. Such logic!

[@gg_rider]

If you want to see some of the early origins of these ideas, read this from 1969. Could do a word search on white supremacy, and privilege. SDS vs Weatherman vs Revolutionary Youth Movement vs Progressive Labor vs Black Panthers, questions of Marxist doctrine, questions of adherence to Chairman Mao's teachings, and some postmodern rejection of truth thrown in. Https://www.sds-1960s.org/books/weatherman.pdf I am not smart enough yet to analyze the differences between the sophistication of what is being pushed in 2020 versus the more violent revolution in 1968 and beyond. TO BE FAIR, the 1960s really did have this horrific idiotic brutal dishonest Vietnam War, and throwing off the yoke of racism was fairly new. One can find honest cases of unwarranted unjustified police brutality against black suspects, today. MORE OFTEN, we see incidents caught on camera of suspects shooting at police from a stolen car (one suspect who was shot was later found to be unarmed), pointing a gun at bystanders and cops which turned out to be fake (not the case of Tamir Rice, he was an innocent victim), fleeing from a drive-by shooting, coming hard at cops with a knife, putting a *Black cop* in a coma with a chair (suspect shot also considered "unarmed"), this and more painted as unjustified police brutality against Black suspects.

[@berlin36moto]

this is about suffering right?

[@garrettbryan2717]

Understanding that this is just about power is the most important thing. If you know that and ask questions then I think that will usually be enough to convince smart people in the room "critical race theory" is racist BS.

[@Vaga-Bard]

So im racist and don't know but this lady named Karen here yelling about race knows it? Wow.

[@ragnarredbeard2592]

Helen should invest some of the money from writing her book in a suitable internet connection......

[@6teezkid]

I didn’t know I was going to learn a new woke term. Jews are “white adjacent”?! I believe we are required to confront them at ANY time the woke uses their freaky exclusionary comments...which is non-stop. I don’t mean to try to debate them on a rational level. That’s completely impossible. But, we need to at least tell them that you can’t bear listening to their racism or say you can’t tolerate their close-minded cult and just move on. It’ll make them crazy mad, but also confounded. We can no longer allow them to talk without at least letting.them know they are social outcasts.

[@jeffmeyer6583]

You have much knowledge of this subject matter that i agree with. However i would recommend you take a secord or third look at the Truth of Scripture. Proverbs says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This wisdom will give you an even deeper understanding of the subject matter.

[@cinemar]

Fine have your critical race theory taught in schools but we should be able to have anti woke theory taught along side it.

[@sandrajune1871]

This is a cult like, right?

[@Jay121]

Yes it has been analoged to a cult by a few people.

[@morgantaylor517]

Yes and it's been co-opted by the 1% as a mean to repress us. It must be fought against tooth and nail.

[@TheWhitehiker]

get a better audio.

[@vaqueritoescoces3385]

she does go on a bit ..!! does she have to be so intellectual ? .. occasionally she breaks into basic narrative ... and makes a lot sense in these moments ... but, (and I am sorry about this) I do not get the 'intersectional' stuff ...

[@lmb1931]

White Fragility assumes a conclusion.

[@wavyremix]

This is unlistenable

[@gg_rider]

Fast forward to the James part. Unfortunately, Helen's internet upload bit rate (bandwidth) is so pathetically weak that the digital audio just falls apart. Helen would do well to blank her video when she wants to speak, save more bandwidth for the audio stream.

[@danieljakubik3428]

Thanks for explaining the academic intellectual foundation of and how to combat wokeism which is creating harmful effects on societies! This is a good general introduction to wokeism.

[@Lori-xt2lf]

Yet, she campaigned against Trump - the Anti-Woke candidate.

[@RUMPLEforeskin25]

It a tool for Jewish interests. Primarily deconstructing gentile culture.

[@mojo2968]

garbage audio unlistenable

[@jenningsnaquin7690]

Once I heard her say that it’s considered “transphobic” to have a sexual preference I knew this was a very biased video. No one has ever said that, it is understood that people have sexual preferences. This video is in fact very misleading and one sided. Be careful with this account.

[@RedKingofSpades94]

PLEASE fix your internet connection. I disliked this video and I will continue to do so on all your videos until you get better internet to encourage you to get better connection. These are brilliant ideas being thoroughly wasted with poor internet and its sad.