Compassionate Critical Inquiry
Anyone who spends time on Twitter and similar platforms will have noticed the recent uptake of ‘critical race theory’ as a popular buzz phrase, typically used by politicians and commentators to vilify those who make the case for wide-reaching societal, systemic change, reducing a centuries-old, extraordinarily complex web of relations and shifting power structures to a bothersome academic construction with no relevance for the daily lives of British citizens (the same phenomenon has appeared also in the US). Very seldom is any attempt made to explore anything of the substance of ‘critical race theory,’ to dissect what it actually means, to present a compelling reason why it is so inimical to the wellbeing of normal folks. Instead, the stuffy whiff of academia is conjured as a lazy refutation of legitimate — for many, life or death — concerns and calls for change. One is given to doubt whether certain individuals have any understanding, or interest in understanding, the body of this area of inquiry.
In a Times Radio interview given on 8th June 2023, conservative MP Miriam Cates made some extraordinarily sweeping statements in the space of scarcely one minute:
‘Our young people now have a lack of hope and they have a lack of hope for the future. One of the things that has contributed to a lack of hope, I think, in young people is these kinds of critical social justice theories that are being taught in schools and universities. So climate catastrophism, critical race theory, gender ideology that are confusing to children and have kind of divorced them from the reality of what life is about and where meaning comes from. And my personal opinion is that those theories, which in some kind of centre-right circles are known collectively as ‘Cultural Marxism,’ those theories are contributing to people’s lack of hope for the future. Wokeness is causing a lack of hope and anxiety in our young people.’ [Cates & Times Radio, 2023]
In one fell swoop, concerns about climate change, gender, race, and various other unspecified ideas about social justice are unceremoniously lumped together under the hollow moniker of ‘wokeness’ and blamed for the ‘lack of hope and anxiety in our young people.’ To borrow another of the demagogic buzzwords of the day, these pesky irritations are the favoured ammunition of the ‘blob,’ which has now laid claim not only to the crusty wastelands of academia and unwashed utopists, but has also swallowed up swathes of the civil service into its bilious entrails. Not even King Johnson or High Priest Trump have been able to halt the inexorable creep, retreating into the political rectum of disgrace (an alarmingly bloated cavity these days).
Cates is most definitely correct in that there does seem to be a lack of hope in our young people. I’d go further and say that no one is immune to this hopelessness, regardless of age. No time-acquired wisdom could rescue one entirely from the mindless beat of the engorged existential drum. Five minutes alone with any news channel is enough to hear tell of mass murder, endless war, famine, drought, devastating floods, widespread and deadly addiction, egregious corruption, suicide. As if this weren’t enough, truth is harder to recognise than ever before. It doesn’t take long to find yourself chest-deep in a suffocating quagmire of conflicting and terrifying conspiracies hinging on gargantuan webs of lies. Even the extremes of the left and the right have begun to inhabit some of the same territories in the weirder of these warped realities.
Yes, there is no argument here. Many people, the young included, are frightened, confused, and lacking in hope. However, it is a giant leap from this anecdotal observation to a simplistic and unsupported declaration that social justice theories are at the heart of our hopelessness. I will summarise what I see as some of the glaring flaws in this characteristically vapid statement, representative of the intellectual and moral ossification at the heart of our political class (without even broaching on the problematic idea of Cultural Marxism).
Climate catastrophism is not a social justice theory: it is a negative reaction to a perceived existential threat, often utilised in an attempt to frighten others into action. Perhaps the most notable exponent of this approach is Greta Thunberg, who famously does not mince her words, and has become the target of vitriol from everyone from Andrew Tate to Julia Hartley-Brewer. We could have a legitimate discussion about the place of catastrophism, and whether it mobilises people or grinds them into paralysed inaction, but the heart of the issue is climate change itself. Thankfully, it is becoming less and less socially acceptable to deny the reality of impending disaster — indeed, many are already suffering the consequences of our hubris. Hopefully Cates is not placing herself on that side of the argument. In my experience working in schools, and as a current student at Newcastle University, I have not seen a pedagogical attitude of doom and gloom. Quite the opposite: children and students are encouraged to talk about the enormous problems we are facing in a spirit of positivity and agency. What can we do, here and now, as one person amongst billions? This is empowerment and collectivity, not hopelessness. It is togetherness and responsibility and pride, and hope.
Critical race theory, gender studies, intersectionality, and so forth, may sound like haughty and complex knowledge structures, but they are in fact areas of inquiry which touch each and every one of us. They explore questions of the basic reality of our interbeing, how we understand ourselves and each other. They help us identify and examine areas of tension and perceived inequality, creating a space in which we can propose and explore potential solutions as a community. Presumably there is scarcely a person alive who would declare that our society is completely fair and functioning, that nothing can be improved. This being the case, we need the opportunity to develop our critical faculties, to learn from each other, to challenge and be challenged, to empathise with the plight of others, to share our own troubles and hopes and dreams. Racism, misogyny, antisemitism, homophobia exist, and it would be well worth certain individuals remembering that if it can happen to someone else, it can happen to you. Life is not a zero-sum game: what lifts someone else up out of the darkness shines a light on you and yours. This is what I observe in such areas of inquiry. Again, in my experience in schools and universities, I see open and positive discussion. One thing we can most certainly be proud of in Britain is the diversity of our population. It is therefore imperative that we explore ideas of self and other, that we not let ourselves be manipulated by flimsy, disingenuous and cynical rhetoric, that we remain ever cognisant of the truth of our sameness, above and beyond our differences.
What is, then, ‘the reality of what life is about and where meaning comes from?’ From a practical point of view, life won’t be about very much if the world continues to burn, if the fabric of our society continues to fray and unravel. From an individualistic perspective, it makes obvious sense to look after the planet and the communities of which we are a part, as we rely upon both for our individual safety and prosperity. But what is life if lived only for oneself? Meaninglessness. Thinking about the climate, about race and gender, is thinking about others. It is an investment in empathy and compassion, a gradual letting go of the hard borders of the self, a pure and beautiful joy in every selfless act. This is no reason for hopelessness. We don’t need to abandon the pursuit of global betterment, to cocoon our children and young people away from the often uncomfortable truth of our painful existence. There is a joyful, hopeful path through strife and suffering that celebrates being even in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Rather than weaponising discontent and succumbing to the stultifying simplification of sound-bites and social media, I would implore our politicians and people in positions of power to remember the fundamental truth of our interdependency and to encourage and nurture positive critical inquiry. This does not mean that debate is out of the question. On the contrary, debate is fundamental to the process of learning, discovering, and healing; it represents and does justice to the community in research. However, these issues require careful thought and wholehearted engagement. ‘Empathic interaction leaves time for silence: reflection is crucial… Empathy involves privileging “listening”… over “speaking”’ [Waters, 2018, p. 10]. Perhaps this is an attitude from which we could all benefit?
References
Cates, M., & Times Radio [Times Radio]. (2023, June 8). Wokeness is causing a lack of hope and anxiety in our young people [Video]. Twitter. Retrieved June 10, 2023, from https://twitter.com/TimesRadio/status/1666738697344040960?s=20
Waters, S. (2018). Contribution towards an ethics of listening: an improvising musician's perspective. Critical Studies in Improvisation, 12(1). http://www.criticalimprov.com/article/view/3752