The New Taboos of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
With Professor Eric Kaufmann author of How Making Race Sacred Produced a Cultural Revolution
Wednesday 26th June, 7.30pm
In London and Online
Have we reached peak ‘woke’? Recent events in academia, business and public debate suggests the tide is turning. Wrong, Eric Kaufmann argues. True, the energy behind cancel culture has peaked. But DEI-fuelled ‘cultural socialism’ – which advocates harsh restrictions on free speech, due process and national symbols in order to reduce psychological harm and bolster the esteem of formerly marginalized groups – is set to maintain and perhaps even increase its power, with younger generations increasingly intolerant of differing perspectives. Why?
By tracing its origins to the sacralization of historically disadvantaged race, gender and sexual identity groups which began in the mid-sixties Kaufmann identifies how cultural socialism was taken up with enthusiasm by well-meaning left-liberals, whose ‘minorities good, majorities threatening’ lens on the world obscured this ideology’s illiberal implications.
Drawing on extensive studies of changing cultural attitudes he shows how, over time, the emotional power of this taboo extended as the zone of the sacred expanded to include innocuous ‘microaggressions’, creating the illiberal climate we see today. Its rise suppresses the free debate that makes effective policy-making possible, harming the minorities cultural socialists purport to help. Only if we shift from encouraging minority fragility to building minority resilience and use state power to check institutional illiberalism, can we restore cultural freedom.
In better understanding this taboo Kaufmann also offers solutions – and a better vision of how humans – all of us – can flourish.
Professor Kaufmann will open with a short lecture, followed by a response from Thomas Harris, the FSU’s Director of Data and Impact and author of the report, The EDI Tax: How Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are Hobbling British Businesses. Tom also co-hosts the FSU’s weekly podcast, That’s Debatable!
You can pre-order TABOO: How Making Race Sacred Created a Cultural Revolution at checkout for collection on the night, to be signed by Professor Kaufmann, or you can purchase it online with free UK delivery here.
VENUE: The Hall, The Art Workers’ Guild, 6 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AT
TIME: Event starts 7.30pm (doors open 7pm, please arrive by 7.15pm).
FREE GLASS OF WINE ON ARRIVAL.
IN-PERSON TICKETS: FSU members £10. Non-FSU Members £16. Aged 25 and under £12. Ticket plus donation to the FSU £25.
Ticket-holders only – NO NEED TO PRINT TICKETS, WE’LL HAVE A LIST OF REGISTRANTS.
ZOOM OPTION: £5 (Free to FSU members. Please register using the Zoom link supplied in FSU newsletters and emails.)
For free and discounted tickets to FSU events, consider joining the Free Speech Union today.
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Dr Eric Kaufmann is Professor of Politics at the University of Buckingham. A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, he was born in Hong Kong and spent eight early years in Tokyo. His previous books include Whiteshift and Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?
Advance praise for Taboo
‘Taboo is a courageous and intellectually convincing book. It is an original analysis of the debilitating pandemic that has been sweeping Western culture and politics, commonly called ‘wokeism’ but which Kaufman calls ‘cultural socialism’. He roots it convincingly in a century of radical liberalism. At the same time Taboo is a call to action and a programme for change. All those worried by the devastation being caused by this baleful phenomenon should read this book. So should those who dismiss ‘culture wars’ as unimportant and ‘wokeism’ as innocuous.’ Robert Tombs, professor of history, University of Cambridge.
‘Eric Kaufmann offers an important contribution to our understanding of the Culture Wars that envelop the Western World. He provides a unique and profound analysis of the woke phenomenon. Unlike many authors who merely indict and complain about cancel culture, Kaufmann outlines an approach for fighting back and defeating it. Read this book and join the fight back.’ Frank Furedi, professor emeritus, University of Kent.
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