A C Grayling’s latest book, Discriminations: Making Peace in the Culture Wars, with its scholarly plea for peace, is recommended for those curious about the origins of the ignoble pursuit of all things woke. Sadly I doubt the swords of bitter invective will be beaten into the ploughshares of reason, however, if, like me, you are curious about the shift from classical philosophical debate to the role of digital influencers, this book is ideal.
Grayling is an historian and a philosopher. He guides readers through accounts of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, Stalin’s starvation of Ukraine, and the on-going attacks by conservatives on feminism. His prose is crisp. His arguments, compelling.
And did you know money can buy you out of any heinous controversy? Kanye West’s regard for Hitler and his denial of the Shoah/Holocaust caused the rapper’s personal wealth to plunge from $1.8 billion to $400 million. He bragged on social media about how he was being cancelled by the woke-erati. (My word)
Grayling argues that deploying insults to belittle those with whom we disagree is a longstanding aspect of the human condition. He cites the persecution of the French Cathars and John Calvin’s pursuit of Michael Servetus for heresy, as examples of the longevity of cancel culture.
Grayling calls on people across the political spectrum to educate themselves on the origins of the toll of the culture wars. I learned from his book to treasure the Enlightenment’s belief in liberty and equality as inherent human rights.
Reviewed by Henry Johnston
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