We’ve finally hit the tipping point. Today, more people know about Jordan Peterson than don’t (at least among my friends). So it’s time to give this man an introduction. Hopefully, one that provides a framework for better understanding. First off, he’s hard to understand and this guy needs to be broken into parts.
Prof
Initially, Jordan was a free psychology professor on the web. And just like the world has leading experts on gold, we have them in psych. Jordan is an expert in two areas: why we do bad things (e.g., Nazis and commies) and archetypal stories including those from the Bible. (An archetype is a recurrent symbol in art, literature, or mythology—like the mythological archetypes of good and evil.)
Like most professors, Jordan is well versed in a number of disciplines and he’s smarter than most. Why? Because he’s dug deep into his specialization and connected the dots.
As a young man, he visited Europe and got hung up on the ills of the early 1900s. So much so that Jordan had nightmares until he figured it all out. This experience plays a major role in his beliefs. He’s also an expert at illuminating old stories, including some from the Bible, and says, “maybe you can learn something from your dead ancestors.”
Postmodernism
Jordan’s now extended himself beyond mere intellectualism to promote what he feels is a dignified belief system. And his passion for this project is great. To understand, you need a quick summary:
- Piaget said people are deeply rooted in their belief systems (axioms).
- Western Civilization was built on the axiom of capitalism, democracy, and Christianity.
- Modernists were the people who designed our Western system.
- Liberals and progressive conservatives took it further. They brought in adjustments to capitalism (like the welfare state) and lightened the effects of Christianity. Most people today agree with these changes.
- Postmodernists take it another step. They’re attempting to alter capitalism to favour those who’ve been oppressed, and then want to eliminate religion completely.
- Jordan opposes both spouts of this ideology. He says favouring the oppressed is all bunk. Capitalism, by definition, is unequal and you’ll only ruin what we’ve got. Attempting utopia is what the communists tried and that was a murderous disaster. He’s also opposed to the idea of crushing the Lord. His alternative is to redefine spirituality through natural psychology, philosophy, and a bunch of old stories.
- Nietzsche said as religion falters, society has to develop its own set of rules.
- Jordan says don’t let postmodernists do it. They can’t be in charge.
Complicated, with two parts. First let’s deal with religion. Back when we were all churchgoers, getting out the message was easy. Every Sunday you’d visit the village priest and he’d assign you a purpose. Those days are gone. Today’s theologians go on speaking tours and write books. Jordan is offering a new twist. He doesn’t sell you on dogma (Church rules), he goes straight for the spirit. Never asking for faith, he uses only reason. And he tells many stories from long ago, written well before religion, plus a few from modern day (e.g., Disney movies). To him, Biblical stories are just part of the mix and he rarely mentions the word God.
Net result: audiences all over the world are listening because Jordan is filling a hole. He may not be our modern day Jesus, but he’s a good village priest. It’s unique what he’s doing—so competent and complete—and a lot of people are grateful. To my knowledge, he’s the only person doing this. So bully for him. One’s belief system is a big part of life, surely worth discussing. So again, bully for him.
Politics
Make no mistake he’s also political, though not in the traditional manner. Jordan is opposed to postmodernism, which associates him with the right. But he’s not mad at the likes of Paul Martin or Jean Chretien. His fight starts with Justin Trudeau.
It’s not about gay marriage, doctor-assisted suicide (called MAID), or legalizing dope. He’s nuts over forced political correctness, new-style feminism, and a host of socially oriented changes. He sees much of postmodernism as being based in Marxism (which scares the heck out of him) and figures with leaders like them, we’re headed for less.
It’s a cultural revolution as societies around the world plot their new courses. Are we going the way of postmodernism—which has infiltrated government, education, and the legal system—or will we generally stay put? It’s a big idea and a big fight. That’s why lefty protesters always show up at his talks.
Now everything for him doesn’t revolve around politics. He’ll also debate popular atheists over the belief in God (not the weird parts). So it’s a two part approach, which of course makes him more confusing.
Summary
Intellectuals defending belief is nothing new, getting involved in politics is. It’s really not their field. As a result, old Jordan was ransacked. The dirty game of campaigning targeted him early and he’s been labelled with all the regular anti-conservative stamps (like, racist, fascist, and puppy-hater).
Don’t kid yourself, slander is done on both sides. Making truth near impossible in a world of fake believe. But now that you have a framework to see Jordan for what he is—free professor, mentor for your own world views, and political activist resisting new change—take what you wish and leave the rest. But please, let the man speak.
Note: Here’s his wiki page (it’s good) and a previous article about him. You can also watch him at Oxford. If you’d like more on postmodernism see Social Control and Left is for Liberal.