Shine More Brightly
From the get-go, the authors of Cynical Theories make a bold and accusational statement with the cover,
and subtitle, “How Activist Scholarship Made Everything About Race, Gender, and Identity – and Why This Harms Everybody.” Helen Pluckrose, a British author and cultural critic, teamed up with James Lindsay, an American author, mathematician, and critic, to write this philosophical/social historical work to
tell l the story of how postmodernism applied its cynical theories to deconstruct what we might agree to call ‘the old religions’ of human thought – which include conventional religious faiths like Christianity and secular ideologies like Marxism, as well as cohesive modern systems such as science, philosophical liberalism, and “progress” – and replaced them with a new religion of its own, called “Social Justice.”[1]
Regarding those on the far left, the authors refer to these individuals as “progressive social crusaders [who] portray themselves as the sole and righteous champions of social and moral progress without which democracy is meaningless and hollow.”[2]
In a book review of Cynical Theory, Richard Roland writes,
The basic tenet of Social Justice theory is that unjust power can be found in all walks of life, and it manifests in biases that are largely invisible because they have been internalized as “normal.” The oppressed understand this power by definition, simply through their lived experience, while the oppressors are inured to it, shielded by their privileges, and blinded by the language being employed.[3]
Throughout the book, the authors critique several theories, such as postmodernism, postcolonial theory, queer theory, critical race theory, feminism and gender studies, and disability and fat studies.[4] Written for lay people with little academic awareness of these topics, the authors introduce their critique of these debated items by stating that
This is not a book that seeks to undermine liberal feminism, activities against racism, or campaigns for LGBT equality. On the contrary, Cynical Theories is born of our commitment to gender, racial and LBGT equality with our concern that the validity and importance of these are currently being alarmingly undermined by Social Justice approaches.[5]
Upon finishing the book, I was reminded of this statement by the authors while taking notes. While this may have been the sentiment by which the authors sought to address these heavy topics, I believe this humble position of love was not emphasized well, or at all, throughout the book. Perhaps the authors should have emphasized this more throughout the text.
My musings far exceed the word count for this blog, so I will highlight one concept concerning Social Justice and the impact of the educational system. The authors write, “There is a problem that begins in our universities, and it comes down to Social Justice. The most immediate aspect of the problem is that Social Justice scholarship gets passed down to students, who then go out into the world.”[6] I am flooded with many thoughts from this quote and section of the book. For one, I think of my interview with a colleague this past week regarding how she feels as they have been out of the US for the last decade, but sensing the massive cultural shift that has happened, especially regarding sexuality and gender. She finds that she lives between two worlds and is experiencing more of a gap between her generation and the younger generation, particularly those who recently graduated from college. From her perspective, she has witnessed the impact the education system has made on issues related to gender and sexuality. Two, the authors’ position is that the university setting carries a lot of weight in influencing culture and future generations. Of course, I see this on the one hand, but on the other, it seems it is written from a position of scarcity and fear. Do I really agree with this, that as a follower of Jesus, our culture and way of living (as a disciple, not an American citizen) is compromised? I don’t believe this to be true, but rather, I see such “difficulty and trials” as strengthening our resolve in Christ. As the lights dim in our world, so will the Light (and culture) of Christ shine even more brightly.
[1] Helen Pluckrose and James A. Lindsay, Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything About Race, Gender, and Identity-and Why This Harms Everybody, First Edition. (Durham, North Carolina: Pitchstone Publishing, 2020), 17–18.
[2] Ibid., 12.
[3] Roland Rich, “Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything About Race, Gender, and Identity-and Why This Harms Everybody,” Population and Development Review 47, no. 1 (2021): 264–267.
[4] Little did I know that “fat studies” was an area of discipline!
[5] Pluckrose and Lindsay, Cynical Theories, 19.
[6] Ibid., 215.
5 responses to “Shine More Brightly”
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Eric,
Thank you for reading the book in a week, even though we were told not to read the book…
How we come to understand and talk about people has evolved over time. For example, our concept of Barbarians comes from the Romans, who believed they were godless and untamed people groups. We know the terms used for Black, Brown, and Asian-Pacific Islanders peoples in America. You can go society by society for more examples.
Could it be that coming to terms with the surprising diversity of gender identity and sexuality is the next wave of our linguistical evolution? And, if so, might we look back at this era of people’s unwillingness to identify others as they see themselves and our inability to adapt our language as another example of bigotry? Isn’t cultivating a sense of sensitivity and empathy far better than entrenchment?
I had already read the book and wrote the blog by the time I received Jason’s email, so I just swapped out weeks and did not read this week’s reading:)
Per you questions, of course, I suppose that could be possible. We all have blind spots that will be made apparent in time (maybe after our death). However, if I am completely honest, I am in disagreement with the recent movement of conversation fixated on sexuality and gender. The reality is that it is creating blind spots of other incredibly significant matters. I’m nearhing exhaustion of the topic. Lets be a people who provide gospel solutions, rather than nit-pick everything. When we do this, we no are no better than the religious leaders of Jesus day. Orthodoxy + Orthopraxy. Lets get to it and not be so myoptic.
Eric!
Thank you for actually reading and posting on this book. Well done!
You are a Rock Start!
I am curious, when looking at the college aged demographic, do you think it would be advantageous to empower them in constructive ways of activism? I think that it is in their nature to be activists. May be the Christian community has abducted its influence on how and where they could be empowered to positive world changers.
Well, I read and wrote on this book but not this weeks:) So, not too much of a rockstar! I think you are on to something. I get frustrated by constant critiques without providing any real solutions. If that is all we do, we are no different than the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. Thus, how can we direct young people to ORTHO-PRAXY (right practice) of our faith in a world of much need?
I also read this book; once I started it I couldn’t put it down. I ended up reading the whole thing and decided not to read a book review–I wanted to form my own opinion, write my blog and then see how I did compared to another literary critic. It was an insightful book and it does a thorough job of explaining how postmodernism goes too far and leaves it moorings behind–and now it finds itself adrift.