Eric Kaufmann is a Canadian professor of politics. Following two decades at Birkbeck, University of London, he is now based at the University of Buckingham. He is Director of the Centre for Heterodox Social Science, a countercultural research centre. He is the author of several books including, most recently, ‘Taboo: How Making Race Sacred Produced a Cultural Revolution’.
Summary:
Sacredness of Identity: The emergence of the sacredness around identity has led to an overreactive response to perceived offences, lack of proportionality, and a lack of nuance in addressing issues, driven by white guilt and virtue signalling, not Marxist ideology.
Liberal Identity Reform: To reform liberalism, distinguish between liberal principles and identity, address emotional reflex towards fearing majorities and romanticizing minorities, and consider a cultural approach with socialism and freedom.
Cultural Inequality vs. Equity: The discrepancy between accepting economic inequality and rejecting cultural inequality calls for a debate about cultural wealth and human flourishing vs. cultural equity. However, society lacks the courage to challenge the current cultural narrative and push back against new buzzwords and PC terms, potentially leading to cultural poverty.
Educational Reform: Governments must intervene and reform K-12 educational institutions to counteract progressive ideology and critical race theory, enforcing political neutrality and eliminating gender ideology training to prevent indoctrination and shape worldviews, ultimately impacting crime rates, educational standards, and border control.
Cultural values and accountability: A balanced approach is needed for addressing cultural issues, allowing for accountability while preventing over-policing and over-penalizing. Desensitization to allegations can occur, making it essential to acknowledge valid cases of harm and promote alternative values.
Cultural intolerance on campuses: Despite concerns of intolerance towards opposing views on campuses, history suggests young people may become more moderate as they age, but comedians and cultural figures are challenging the status quo, raising the possibility of a shift towards more diverse and inclusive discourse.
Cultural shift in education: The cultural shift in education towards progressive ideologies, emphasizing empathy and care for vulnerable groups, has been a significant driver of societal change, but the application of empathy can be selective and the line between empathy and oppression can be blurred. Internal factors, such as liberal receptiveness, have played a crucial role in this shift.
Manipulation of liberal emotions: The success of cultural Marxist ideas, like Black Lives Matter, stems from the manipulation of liberal emotions and guilt, rather than a widespread acceptance of Marxist ideologies.