The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast – 373. Social Justice: A Religious Movement | Andrew Doyle

Intro

In this episode of “The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast,” Jordan Peterson interviews Andrew Doyle on the topic of social justice as a religious movement. They discuss the far-left doctrines, the culture war, the rise of identity politics, and the authoritarian tendencies within the social justice movement.

Main Takeaways

The Far-Left Religious Rhetoric

• The far-left doctrines use religious rhetoric and practices despite the absence of God.
• Woke culture stifles genuine expression, forcing dogma to take the place of fundamental truth.
• The culture war has obliterated the left-wing and right-wing designations.

Identity Politics and Authoritarianism

• Identity group has substituted the notion of class and money.
• Most activists tend to be quite posh and have double-barrelled names.
• Many activists who claim to fight oppression and privilege are actually independently wealthy and have had everything handed to them on a plate.
• Studies show that left-wing authoritarianism is a coherent set of beliefs associated with progressive causes and a willingness to impose them using force, fear, and compulsion.
• The correlation between dark tetrad personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism) and left-wing authoritarianism is so high that they are almost indistinguishable.
• Left-wing authoritarians mask their power-mongering in the guise of compassion, while right-wing authoritarians are more upfront about their intentions.

The Third Reich and Authoritarianism

• The Third Reich used a belief in compassionate euthanasia as their primary rationale for mass killing, but the true motivations behind their actions are still not fully understood.
• The political stance of the Third Reich was a mixture of left and right, making it difficult to categorize as solely one or the other.
• The struggle between liberty and authority is the main debate, rather than left versus right.
• Authoritarianism is an enduring appeal in humanity, regardless of political views.

Social Justice as a Religious Movement

• The social justice movement is characterized by authoritarianism and opposes liberal values.
• Hitler was deeply narcissistic and wanted everyone to pay when he knew the game was up.
• Social justice activists exhibit a combination of narcissism, religiosity, intolerance, and a desire to destroy if they can’t get their way.
• The story of Cain and Abel in the Bible highlights responsibility-laden individualism and the willingness to sacrifice the present for the future.
• The critical social justice movement can be seen as a religion, with its own belief system and high priests enforcing edicts from above.
• The movement claims to be progressive and liberal, but is actually regressive and illiberal, using fascistic tactics to silence political opponents.

The Arts and Transcendence

• The arts provide a sense of transcendence and creativity for individuals.
• The woke movement is threatened by the arts and seeks to transform it into just another propagandizing tool because it fundamentally doesn’t understand what art is.
• Great artistic genius can only come from those who can think outside the box and are not conformists.
• The great patrons of the arts are the ones who don’t try to steer the artist in a certain way, allowing them to create freely.
• The Western canon needs to retain the primacy of certain works of art that are greater than others.

Summary

The Far-Left Religious Rhetoric

Andrew Doyle and Jordan Peterson discuss how the far-left doctrines use religious rhetoric and practices despite the absence of God. Woke culture stifles genuine expression, forcing dogma to take the place of fundamental truth. The culture war has obliterated the left-wing and right-wing designations, leading to the rise of identity politics.

Identity Politics and Authoritarianism

The conversation delves into how identity politics has substituted the notion of class and money. Interestingly, most activists tend to be quite posh and have double-barrelled names. Many activists who claim to fight oppression and privilege are actually independently wealthy and have had everything handed to them on a plate. Studies show that left-wing authoritarianism is a coherent set of beliefs associated with progressive causes and a willingness to impose them using force, fear, and compulsion. The correlation between dark tetrad personality traits and left-wing authoritarianism is so high that they are almost indistinguishable. Left-wing authoritarians mask their power-mongering in the guise of compassion, while right-wing authoritarians are more upfront about their intentions.

The Third Reich and Authoritarianism

The discussion also explores the political stance of the Third Reich, which was a mixture of left and right, making it difficult to categorize as solely one or the other. The struggle between liberty and authority is the main debate, rather than left versus right. Authoritarianism is an enduring appeal in humanity, regardless of political views.

Social Justice as a Religious Movement

Doyle and Peterson analyze the social justice movement as a religious movement characterized by authoritarianism and opposition to liberal values. They draw parallels between Hitler’s narcissism and the narcissism exhibited by social justice activists. The story of Cain and Abel in the Bible is used to highlight the responsibility-laden individualism and the willingness to sacrifice the present for the future. The critical social justice movement is seen as a religion with its own belief system and high priests enforcing edicts from above. The movement claims to be progressive and liberal but is regressive and illiberal, using fascistic tactics to silence political opponents.

The Arts and Transcendence

The conversation explores how the arts provide a sense of transcendence and creativity for individuals. However, the woke movement threatens the arts by seeking to transform it into a propagandizing tool. Great artistic genius can only come from those who can think outside the box and are not conformists. The importance of retaining the primacy of certain works of art in the Western canon is emphasized.

Conclusion

Andrew Doyle and Jordan Peterson shed light on the far-left doctrines, identity politics, authoritarianism, and the social justice movement as a religious movement. They discuss the importance of liberal values, the arts, and the need for a belief system outside of ourselves. The conversation provides valuable insights into the current cultural and political landscape.