‘Idea Laundering’ in Academia
How nonsensical jargon like ‘intersectionality’ and ‘cisgender’ is imbued with an air of false authority.
Peter Boghossian
232d ago
Here’s my OpEd for the Wall Street Journal
“Idea Laundering” in Academia:
How nonsensical jargon like "intersectionality" and "cisgender" is imbued with an air of false authority
@WSJ
410
Interesting examples of how @BretWeinstein idea of “idea laundering" works in academia, by @peterboghossian
Lather, rinse, repeat.
You’ve probably heard the terms “cisgender” and “intersectionality.” Here’s how it happened, writes @peterboghossian
You’ve probably heard the terms “cisgender” and “intersectionality.” Here’s how it happened, writes @peterboghossian
Excellent and very thorough discussion of “Idea Laundering” @peterboghossian.
The term "idea laundering" is brilliant. How radical ideas get processed through an ostensibly legitimate system that then legitimizes the idea, which then makes its way back into the world--now cleansed of radicalism and carrying academic solemnity.
As a grad student in the 90s, I thought the nonsense I heard around me was in the end a harmless closed loop aimed mostly at keeping bad humanities professors employed. I didn’t appreciate how far-reaching this “idea laundering” would be in the future
“Idea Laundering” in Academia:
How nonsensical jargon like "intersectionality" and "cisgender" is imbued with an air of false authority
A good read courtesy of @peterboghossian
This guy focuses on “fat studies” but just wait until he learns about “economics” 😜⤵️
“over time, laundered ideas and the terminology that accompanies them become normative—giving them even more unearned legitimacy”
Peter Boghossian reveals to non-academics how the game is played in contemporary academia.
Peter Boghossian and I are in different places philosophically, religiously, and politically, but I admire his commitment to Socratic reasoning and his courage in calling out disrobed emperors in academia. @peterboghossian wsj.com/articles/idea-… via @WSJ
The sad anatomy of grievance "scholarship" as expertly dissected by @peterboghossian wsj.com/articles/idea-… via @WSJ