Reading Our Times

What is "woke"? In conversation with Susan Neiman


Listen Later

Depending on who you are, you might understand “woke” to mean “concerned with fundamental human justice”. Alternatively, you might think its means obsessed with identity politics, tribal, angry, and inclined to cancel and censor.
Either way, you probably associate the term with the left. After all, “lefty” and “liberal” and the words most commonly paired with “woke”.
But what if that isn’t the case? What if it’s an oversimplification? What if woke isn’t left and left isn’t woke? Where does that leave the left? And where does it leave wokery?
Depending on who you are, you might understand “woke” to mean “concerned with fundamental human justice”. Alternatively, you might think its means obsessed with identity politics, tribal, angry, and inclined to cancel and censor.
Either way, you probably associate the term with the left. After all, “lefty” and “liberal” and the words most commonly paired with “woke”.
But what if that isn’t the case? What if it’s an oversimplification? What if woke isn’t left and left isn’t woke? Where does that leave the left? And where does it leave wokery?
Purchase a copy of Susan's book 'Left is not Woke' here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Left-Not-Woke-Susan-Neiman/dp/1509558306
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Reading Our TimesBy Theos

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

16 ratings


More shows like Reading Our Times

View all
The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

311 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

860 Listeners

Intelligence Squared by Intelligence Squared

Intelligence Squared

779 Listeners

The Reith Lectures by BBC Radio 4

The Reith Lectures

157 Listeners

Nomad Podcast by Nomad

Nomad Podcast

435 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

425 Listeners

Moral Maze by BBC Radio 4

Moral Maze

71 Listeners

Daily Politics from the New Statesman by The New Statesman

Daily Politics from the New Statesman

146 Listeners

Philosophy For Our Times by IAI

Philosophy For Our Times

316 Listeners

The Briefing Room by BBC Radio 4

The Briefing Room

77 Listeners

The Sacred by Theos

The Sacred

85 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics

3,881 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics: Leading by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics: Leading

866 Listeners

Past Present Future by David Runciman

Past Present Future

345 Listeners

Re-Enchanting by Seen & Unseen

Re-Enchanting

85 Listeners