Since the publication of Cynical Theories by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay, several books and academic articles have been published, discussing the origins, trends and even psychology of Critical Social Justice theory. The latest such publication is titled Woke: A Critique of Social Justice Ideology, edited by Prof. Jon Mills. Here is a description of the book:
“Critical Social Justice or wokeism is a relatively new phenomenon that has dominated the recent culture wars since the antiracist movement intensified in the wake of Geroge Floyd’s death. In this volume, internationally acclaimed cultural critics, social political theorists, psychologists and philosophers, behavioural scientists, and scholars of humanities examine contemporary issues in social critique that address a myriad of topics including critical race theory (CRT), identity politics, decolonialism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) movements, whiteness theory, gender critical feminism, transgenderism, cancel culture, antizionism/antisemitism, postmodern epistemology, the free speech debate, and political authoritarianism. This is the first book of its kind to offer a scholarly critique of the social justice ideology that has saturated our modern times, stoked by polarisation, and societal division, fomenting discord, radical politics, censorship, and new forms of fascism.”
The chapter headings, with their respected authors are as follows:
Introduction: The New Culture Wars by Jon Mills;
Chapter 1: On the Woke Phenomenon by Michael Shermer;
Chapter 2: Critical Realism and Identity Politics by David Pilgrim;
Chapter 3: What’s Wrong with Whiteness Theory? By Jonathan Church;
Chapter 4: Critical Race Theory, Anti-Oppression Ideology, and the Capture of Mental Health by Jon Mills;
Chapter 5: How Transwomen became Women – The Transition of “Gender” from Meaningful to Meaningless by Bret Alderman;
Chapter 6: Critical Social Justice and the Triumph of an Illusion by Jaco van Zyl;
Chapter 7: Gender Ideology and the Transgender Debate – Cancel Culture, Anthropology and the Evolution of Sex Differences by Gary Clark;
Chapter 8: On Bias and Censorship in Academia by Nathan Honeycutt and Lee Jussim; and
Chapter 9: Antisemitic Antizionism on Campus by Cary Nelson.
This publication is a continuation of ground-breaking work being done in critically analysing the origins, philosophical building blocks, psychology and civilisational consequences of the current global fever, namely Critical Social Justice.
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