Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity-and Why This Harms Everybody by Helen Pluckrose & James Lindsay (Discussion Prompts‪)‬

Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity-and Why This Harms Everybody by Helen Pluckrose & James Lindsay


Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity―and Why This Harms Everybody by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay is a nonfiction book that deconstructs Critical Theory and challenges the objectives of Social Justice Theory. It examines today’s “woke” mentality and how it has developed a culture that retracts rather than benefits society.


Pluckrose and Lindsay explore the genesis of several critical identity theories, explain their evolution, and present them as the root of today’s most pressing arguments in social justice. From French postmodernism to its expansion within activist academic fields, Cynical Theories enlightens its readers on how this all led to modern phenomena like “cultural appropriation” and “cancel culture.” The notion that science is sexist and language is dangerous are proliferated in streets and institutions. Social media brims with posts promoting obesity as “healthy,” and antiracist movements claim that only Whites can be racist. Pluckrose and Lindsay breakdown all these theories into several components. They deliver a strong argument as to why activist scholarship does more harm than good, even to the marginalized communities it’s supposed to defend. 


Cynical Theories is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller. It received a 4.4-star rating in Goodreads and praises from human rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali and The End of Gender author Debra Soh.


In this comprehensive look into Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity-and Why This Harms Everybody by Helen Pluckrose & James Lindsay, you'll gain insight with this essential resource as a guide to aid your discussions. Be prepared to lead with the following:

• More than 60 “done-for-you” discussion prompts available


• Discussion aid which includes a wealth of information and prompts


• Overall brief plot synopsis and author biography as refreshers


• Thought-provoking questions made for deeper examinations



• Creative exercises to foster alternate “if this was you” discussions



And more!


Please Note: This is a companion guide based on the Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity-and Why This Harms Everybody by Helen Pluckrose & James Lindsay not affiliated to the original work or author in any way and does not contain any text of the original work. Please purchase or read the original work first.