Eric Kaufmann

Well, the book is a critical analysis of the woke phenomenon. I should say I have an analytical definition of woke. You know, I know it is used as a political epithet, but the definition of woke I use is the making sacred of historically marginalized race, gender and sexual identity groups. That's the one sentence definition of woke. Hmm.

Well, the book is a critical analysis of the woke phenomenon. I should say I have an analytical definition of woke. You know, I know it is used as a political epithet, but the definition of woke I use is the making sacred of historically marginalized race, gender and sexual identity groups. That's the one sentence definition of woke. Hmm.

You know, from that flows a fuzzy ideology, which says that any inequality of outcome in desired social, you know, income, social status, et cetera, between racial groups, between men and women is an outrage in a way. It's a violation of a sacred value. And the second proposition is anything that harms women.

You know, from that flows a fuzzy ideology, which says that any inequality of outcome in desired social, you know, income, social status, et cetera, between racial groups, between men and women is an outrage in a way. It's a violation of a sacred value. And the second proposition is anything that harms women.

whether physically or psychologically, members of these historically marginalized groups is also an outrage. So any speech which offends members of such sacralized groups constitutes a kind of blasphemy, and you therefore are liable to excommunication or being canceled, in other words. So that is basically what woke is. You know, what I argue in the book is that we've had

whether physically or psychologically, members of these historically marginalized groups is also an outrage. So any speech which offends members of such sacralized groups constitutes a kind of blasphemy, and you therefore are liable to excommunication or being canceled, in other words. So that is basically what woke is. You know, what I argue in the book is that we've had

three waves of this ideology. It's not just post-2015. Post-2015 is the third of these waves. So the first wave, I trace this back to the late 60s, where you did actually have cancellations occurred. Perhaps the first one was the Moynihan Report of 1965 on the Black Family, which was shelved by the Johnson administration. And we then had affirmative action, of course, in the late 60s.

three waves of this ideology. It's not just post-2015. Post-2015 is the third of these waves. So the first wave, I trace this back to the late 60s, where you did actually have cancellations occurred. Perhaps the first one was the Moynihan Report of 1965 on the Black Family, which was shelved by the Johnson administration. And we then had affirmative action, of course, in the late 60s.

And then we move into what I would call the second awokening. And these are waves of mobilization and emotional energy. And so we get speech codes and political correctness in that second wave. Then in the third wave, this is where we are. We have cancel culture, microaggressions. But there's a lot of continuity. Affirmative action and DEI is something with roots back to that first awokening.

And then we move into what I would call the second awokening. And these are waves of mobilization and emotional energy. And so we get speech codes and political correctness in that second wave. Then in the third wave, this is where we are. We have cancel culture, microaggressions. But there's a lot of continuity. Affirmative action and DEI is something with roots back to that first awokening.

So I kind of stress that. This is very much about continuity and acceleration of an ideology rather than a deviation. There are people around who seem to say, oh, everything was just fine in the 2000s. We didn't have a problem. And then all of a sudden this cancel culture came in because of the smartphone or something.

So I kind of stress that. This is very much about continuity and acceleration of an ideology rather than a deviation. There are people around who seem to say, oh, everything was just fine in the 2000s. We didn't have a problem. And then all of a sudden this cancel culture came in because of the smartphone or something.

I'm accepting that things like smartphone and social media accelerate this, but... I'm arguing the problem lies with an ideology, and that ideology, in my view, is very much rooted in left liberalism and not so much in cultural Marxism.

I'm accepting that things like smartphone and social media accelerate this, but... I'm arguing the problem lies with an ideology, and that ideology, in my view, is very much rooted in left liberalism and not so much in cultural Marxism.

Yeah. So Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who was doing a report, he was Democrat at the time, he issued a report for the Johnson administration. And he sort of was raising the alarm about a fatherlessness rate, which had reached 25%, which sounds small by today's standards. But he said this was the harbinger of many problems. He was absolutely right. That rate is now 70%, by the way.

Yeah. So Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who was doing a report, he was Democrat at the time, he issued a report for the Johnson administration. And he sort of was raising the alarm about a fatherlessness rate, which had reached 25%, which sounds small by today's standards. But he said this was the harbinger of many problems. He was absolutely right. That rate is now 70%, by the way.

And the white rate is higher than that. But yeah, So that was seen as unacceptable by certain black politicians and their allies. And so it was shelved as being too controversial.

And the white rate is higher than that. But yeah, So that was seen as unacceptable by certain black politicians and their allies. And so it was shelved as being too controversial.

Yeah. If you want to express a truth, if you want to freely express that truth, but it offends the sensitivities of a particular group or people who claim to be spokesmen for that group, then you have to shut up or pay the consequences. Right.

Yeah. If you want to express a truth, if you want to freely express that truth, but it offends the sensitivities of a particular group or people who claim to be spokesmen for that group, then you have to shut up or pay the consequences. Right.