EP58 | Woke Postmodern Paradox

Open College Podcast

Explores the conflict between modern liberalism, which historically championed anti-racism, anti-sexism, and individual rights, and the contemporary "Woke" movement, which paradoxically rejects liberalism despite similar goals. Rooted in postmodern skepticism, Wokism emerged from a mistrust of objective truths and traditional structures, instead promoting power dynamics and subjective truths. The author categorizes Wokism into four main strands—Anti-modern Woke, The Great Awokening, Dictatorship of the Woketariat, and Motte-and-Bailey Wokists—each rejecting various aspects of liberalism and embracing distinct philosophies. The tension between reasoned liberal ideals and Woke ideology’s reliance on power and relativism has led to ongoing cultural battles, with postmodernism’s influence hollowing out the Enlightenment’s achievements and leaving a fragmented intellectual landscape.