“This is the argument I have with people
like Sam Harris - the atheist types. It's
like yeah, you think you're atheist man...
like you're Christian- Judaeo-Christian, let's
say, to the core! You just don't understand
it. You just don't realise it.” This is
the argument I have with people like Jordan
Peterson – the Capitalist types. It’s
like yeah, you think you’re a Capitalist
man… like you’re a socialist- Social-Marxist,
let’s say, to the core! You just don’t
understand it. You don’t realise it. “You
can't be an unbeliever in your action - you
see, because Harris' metaphysics is fundamentally
Christian. So he acts out of Christian metaphysics
but he says 'well, I don't believe it', well,
yeah, you do - because you're acting it out!
You just say you don't believe it.” You
can't be an unbeliever in your action - you
see, because Peterson’s metaeconomics is
fundamentally Marxist. So he acts out of Marxist
metaeconomics but he says 'well, I don't believe
it', well, yeah, you do - because you're acting
it out! You just say you don't believe it.
Now you might be thinking “Just where are
you going with this, Steve?”, or you might
know exactly where I’m going. In any case,
grab yourself a big cup of metaphorical substrate,
and join me in this short 40 hour video as
I explain the dominance hierarchy of bees,
and the relevance of Dostoevsky’s The Idiot. This, is Jordan Peterson is a Marxist - he just doesn’t realise it.
Over the last six
or so months I’ve made a fair few videos
in which I’ve criticised Jordan Peterson’s
Christian apologetics, and I believe I’ve
done so respectfully (and hopefully so too
do you). Now my typical approach has been
to tackle his assertions head on, but in this
case, I’m going to do so obliquely – because
I think it might better way of exposing the
problem with his rhetoric. You see, as I’ve
made clear many times before, most of Jordan’s
philosophical and religious assertions are
not flawed in and of themselves, but what
is flawed is how he uses them, and I’ll
do my best to explain exactly why in just
a moment. First, however, I’ve got some
good news! Many of you have asked me to create
a merchant store, and finally, I have – and
so now there’s now another way to support
the channel, and to look like a sexy god or
goddess while doing so : ) Simply click on
the design you want, choose the clothing type
you desire, and wear it like a boss! Anyhow,
back to Jordan being a Marxist. Over his time,
Jordan has criticised Marxism considerably,
calling it false and dangerous. “And when
the Marxists say ‘Well that wasn't real
Marxism’, what it really means (and I've
thought about this for a long time) - it's
the most arrogant possible statement anyone
could ever make - it means 'If I was in Stalin’s
position I would've ushered in the damn utopia
instead of the genocidal massacres because
I understand the doctrine of Marxism and everything
about me is good'. Well, think again sunshine,
you don't understand it! You don't understand
it, and you're not that good." And likewise,
Sam has criticised Christianity considerably,
calling it false and dangerous. “Any god
who would allow children in the millions to
suffer and die in this way, and their parents
to grieve in this way, either can do nothing
to help them, or doesn't care to. He is therefore
either impotent or evil.” And yet, Jordan
has, on multiple occasions, asserted that
Sam is a Christian. “You're Christian- Judaeo-Christian,
let's say, to the core!” But why? I mean,
Christianity is the assertion that a literal
conscious being intentionally created the
universe, literally impregnated a virgin,
and that the literal son of god literally
resurrected after three literal days – isn’t
it? And Sam certainly doesn't believe this.
“While there might be lots of topics we
can debate on within Christianity, I believe
that these five beliefs, that I’m going
to discuss in this video, remain the 5 essential
beliefs of Christianity. Essential belief
number one is to believe in the bodily resurrection
of Jesus Christ.” “A true Christian is
a person who has put faith and trust in the
person and work of Jesus Christ, including
his death on the cross as payment for sins,
and his resurrection on the third day.”
“Christianity is a relationship based upon
the merits of Jesus Christ, who died on the
cross for our sins, rose again from the grave,
and he invites you to know him personally.”
But this isn’t the case for Jordan. Jordan
doesn’t literally believe any of the aforementioned…
or anything literally, it seems. As I made
clear in my video titled “Jordan Peterson
is NOT a Christian”, Jordan’s Christianity
radically differs from any major denomination.
When he calls Sam a Christian, all he’s
saying is that Sam is a responsible and empathetic
person: “If I lay out the rationale of the
Christian ethic, which is something like ‘Pick
up your damn cross and struggle uphill’,
which is a really good message, and think
‘Oh yeah, well that makes a lot of sense
- well I don't need the metaphysical baggage’.
It's like, maybe you do and maybe you don't.”
“And so you watch the people around you
that thrive, regardless of what they say,
they act out the proposition that everyone
matters, and then you have a functional society.”
Now some critics listening will be screaming
“You just don’t get it, Steve! Jordan’s
right! You say you’re not a Christian, but
you “Pick up your damn cross and struggle
uphill”, and you “Act out the proposition
that everyone matters.” But in reply I say
“Yes, I am, like Sam, a responsible and
vicarious person, but that doesn’t make
me a Christian, it makes me human (and perhaps
a good human, depending on what we mean by
good). We’re an evolved social species,
and as such nature has selected for us to
care about our reputation and loved-ones.
This, combined with the education that everyone
(and not just our tribe) are alike, gets us
the notion that everyone matters. Being responsible
and empathetic are characteristics of social
species, and that’s why these values are
found in just about every culture, and not
just the Judeo-Christian ones. Now sure, many
functional and extremely successful cultures
do not, and did not, believe that everyone
matters, such as Ancient Rome, and, funny
enough, Medieval Christianity (who both relished
in slavery), but the notion that our kin matters
existed long before we were human - and the
question has always been “Who is our kin?”
Anyhow, how, then, do I justify calling Jordan
a Marxist? Well, you need to take a sophisticated,
metaphorical view of the incredibly complex
Communist Manifesto, and treat each segment
as if it’s influenced by the end (it’s
a narrative, you see, and must be read in
such a way) (“You have to read the beginning
as if it’s also influenced by the end”).
The Marxist fundamentalists, with their literal
reading, insist that “Marxism is a system
of socialism in which the dominant feature
is the public ownership of the means of production,
distribution, and exchange”, but more sophisticated
Marxists will tell you that Marxism is the
observation that all economic prosperity is
predicated on social interaction, and that
everyone, regardless of their social status,
has inherent worth… Without the proletariat,
the bourgeoisie doesn’t exist. You see,
Jordan values capitalist economics, and he
says he’s not a Marxist, but capitalism
can’t function without social interaction,
and so he is a Marxist – a social-Marxist,
let’s say, to the core! Because he acts
it out! He just doesn’t realize it. Are
you annoyed? Do you think I’m being disingenuous?
Well, if you do, know that it’s just because
you’re not being very sophisticated. Marxism
is extremely complex because… I made so.
Why? Now that’s a good question! (“What
kind of question is that?”). To wrap up,
why have I made this video? And why have I
differed from my typical style? In a nutshell,
it’s because I want to illustrate how ridiculous,
and damn disingenuous Jordan is when he calls
Sam (and other atheists) Christian (let alone
religious). Don’t get me wrong, under the
rubric of Jordan’s dictionary, Sam is a
Christian, and we can put aside the fact that
this makes it needlessly difficult to criticise
“real” Christianity, but under the rubric
of the dictionary I just made up (sorry…
I mean, according to a sophisticated and nuanced
interpretation of Marxism) Jordan is a Marxist.
Look, whether you like Jordan or not (and
I do, believe it or not), you’ve got to
stop giving him infinite get out of jail free
cards! Some of what he says is bollocks, and
damn dangerous bollocks at that. Anyhow, I’m
Steve Woodford, or Rationality Rules, and
as always, thank you kindly for the view,
and an extra special thank you to my wonderful
patrons, and those of you who’ve donate
via PayPal. You are, as always, awesome! Oh,
and be sure to check out the store all – if
there’s any designs you’d like me to add,
or any feedback at all, I’m all ears.
