In his new book, Woke Racism, Columbia University linguist John McWhorter argues that Wokeism should, literally, be considered a religion.
As to religiosity of progressive causes today consider the religious quality & fervor of progressive discourse on issues, including but not limited to race and climate. Many such similarities exist between woke racism & apocalyptic environmentalism:
Each offers an original sin as the cause of present-day evils (e.g., slavery, the industrial revolution). Each has guilty devils (e.g., white people, “climate deniers,” etc.) sacred victims (e.g., black people, poor islanders, etc.) and people self-appointed to crusade against evil (e.g., BLM activists, Greta Thunberg, etc.). And each have a set of taboos (e.g., saying “All lives matter,” criticizing renewables, etc.) and purifying rituals (e.g., kneeling/apologizing, buying carbon offsets, etc).
Why is it there is such a massive divide between Woke perception and reality on so many issues? The gulf is alarming beyond the importance of having an informed electorate for a healthy liberal democracy.
Part of the reason appears to stem from the rise of social media and corresponding changes to news media in the last decade. Social media fuels rising & unwarranted certainty, dogmatism, and intolerance of viewpoint diversity and disconfirmatory information.
Just because an ideology is dogmatic and self-righteous does not necessarily make it a religion, so it is fair to ask whether Wokeism is no more than a new belief system. There is no obviously mythological or supernatural element to Woke ideology, and its adherents rarely, if ever, justify their statements with reference to a god, or higher power.
But a deeper look at Wokeism does, indeed, reveal a whole series of mythological and supernatural beliefs, including but not limited to the idea white people today are responsible for the racist actions of white people in the past; climate change risks making humans extinct; and a person can change their sex simply by identifying as the opposite sex.
As Wokeism meets specific psychological & spiritual needs for meaning, belonging, and status, pointing out its supernatural elements is likely to have little impact among the Woke.
As Peter Boghossian, a philosopher who recently resigned his post at Portland State University in response to Wokeist repression, writes: “bigotry and racial discrimination are real and they have no place in society. Yes, there is ongoing racism. Yes, there is ongoing homophobia. Yes, there is ongoing hatred of trans people. These are morally abhorrent and we all need to work together to bring about their end. The woke religion, however, is not the way to stop these moral horrors. It is making our shared problems more difficult to solve.”
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Why Wokeism Is A Religion
General religion and metaphysics topics
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Why Wokeism Is A Religion
Post by Riddick » 03-07-2022 05:22 PM
A mind should not be so open that the brains fall out; however, it should not be so closed that whatever gray matter which does reside may not be reached. ART BELL
Everything Woke turns to -Donald Trump
Everything Woke turns to -Donald Trump
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