From: jimruttshow8596
Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a contemporary radical leftist line of thought, infused with post-modern epistemology and ethics, that significantly influences the “woke” or social justice movement today [01:00:50]. It is viewed as a significant threat to liberalism [02:09:50].
Origins and Core Principles
CRT emerged from the premise that biological notions of race were introduced in the late 16th century specifically to facilitate racism, slavery, and colonialism [01:26:51]. This perspective holds that race is a social construction given social significance for racist ends [01:27:16].
A key development in CRT was the concept of intersectionality, proposed by Kimberly Crenshaw [01:28:52]. This theory advocates for an “identity first” approach, asserting that “I am black” is more meaningful than “I am a person who happens to be black” [01:29:02]. This prioritizes identity over universal humanity, which is considered unproductive for radical identity politics [01:29:10]. Crenshaw’s work links this approach to post-modern theory for deconstructing power structures that oppress black people [01:29:17].
Contrasting with Liberalism
While liberalism has historically worked to reduce the social significance of racial categories—moving towards a “colorblind” ideal where race has no impact on life trajectory [01:28:05], as expressed by Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of judging people by character rather than skin color [01:28:10]—CRT and identity politics aim to re-insert social significance into racial categories to assert “black power” and reverse power dynamics [01:28:40].
Cultural Impacts and Issues
CRT, stemming from a post-modern view that each culture is an “island” with its own knowledges and ways of being that cannot be questioned externally, promotes a strong push for multiculturalism over pluralism [01:31:50]. It defines “black culture” in opposition to “white culture,” viewing the latter as intrinsically anti-black [01:32:52].
Redefining Values
Within this framework, values traditionally associated with societal progress and efficiency are labeled as aspects of “white supremacy” [01:33:10]. These include:
- Productivity [01:33:10]
- Reliability [01:33:10]
- Loyalty [01:33:10]
- Punctuality [01:33:10], despite its demonstrable utility in coordinating human efforts and economic production [01:34:30]
- Science and Reason [01:33:16]
For instance, trying to maintain a meeting schedule or striving for productivity has been characterized as “white supremacy” [01:33:30]. This approach of defining culture in opposition to beneficial practices is seen as creating “massive problems” and being “the exact wrong way to think about everything” [01:33:48].
Psychological Impact
The rhetoric of CRT is considered psychologically devastating for the groups it purports to help [01:36:38]. By promoting the belief that “the whole world is against you” and that every aspect of reality is designed to permanently oppress, it fosters paranoia, cynicism, pessimism, and nihilism [01:38:32]. This approach is described as “reverse cognitive behavioral therapy” [01:38:21].
It is argued that while some discrimination still exists, it is vastly less pervasive than in the past and does not prevent progress [01:37:46]. For example, job discrimination might require one more interview, and housing discrimination might require looking at one or two more apartments—these are frictions, not insurmountable barriers [01:37:40]. The argument is that CRT’s prescriptions are “100 percent backwards” [01:39:27] and undermine the capacity for individual and collective success.
Addressing the Phenomenon
The CRT phenomenon is seen as a “neo-medievalism,” an attempt to reverse 500 years of progress since the Enlightenment [01:33:31]. It is considered “hermetically sealed” from criticism, as any external critique is dismissed as coming from a place that doesn’t understand it, or is labeled as “racist” [01:03:41]. The belief systems of CRT scholars and activists are described as painfully sincere [01:15:20].
To counter this cultural and personal challenges, several actions are recommended:
- Listen better: Acknowledge valid points where they exist, such as the need to improve listening [01:41:33].
- Assert Liberalism: Educate people on how liberal systems work, why rule of law, due process, and scientific processes are valuable, and how objective standards reduce cronyism [01:41:51].
- Show up: Counter activists by participating in bureaucratic positions, committees, and local meetings (e.g., school boards) to prevent a small number of activists from making decisions [01:42:24].
- Get informed: Understand CRT’s jargon and the arguments for liberalism [01:43:01].
- Don’t back down: Stand up to name-calling and intimidation tactics. Recognize that accusations like “racist” often come from a redefinition of terms for their purposes [01:45:52].
- Grow a backbone: Speak up, especially when afraid, as the situation will worsen otherwise [01:46:34]. Liberals hold the moral and epistemological high ground due to their belief in science and universal benefit [01:46:47].