Cambridge Ayn Rand Meetup

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/discussing-jordan-peterson-the-good-the-bad-and-the-chaotic-tickets-66912706707 Love him or hate him, Jordan Peterson can only be described as a rare phenomenon. An intellectual getting millions to watch on YouTube 2-hour lectures on the symbolisms of the Bible, filling arenas for his talks, and having an impact of hope on the lives of many people. At the same time, he has been denounced as a reactionary who wishes a return to traditional gender roles of subordination for women, an enabler of “transphobia”, and even as the ‘figurehead’ of the Alt-Right. Yet, overshadowed by the noise of the controversies, what is rarely clarified is what the actual ideas of Peterson are on specific topics. More importantly, how has he helped us understand such topics, or how has he further blurred them? This conference will aim to discuss 5 intellectual areas, having as a starting point an evaluation of Peterson’s ideas: philosophy, psychology, politics, patriarchy, and postmodernism. Where is Jordan Peterson right, where is he wrong, and where is he out of his depth? How can we make our life better by engaging in the realm of ideas? Panels: Philosophy Is Jordan Peterson a pop philosopher or someone with an integrated view of existence? Does he say something new, or does he merely recycle the arguments of previous thinkers? Is there a crisis of meaning, and, if so, what role can philosophy and religion play in addressing this? Speakers: Piers Benn, Helen Dale, Connor Watts Chair: Josh Dickson Psychology Jordan Peterson’s background as a clinical psychologist provides him with an advanced insight into the human experience. But does that make him equipped to take on the greatest philosophical and political debates of our time? How does his background in psychology influence his views on politics, gender and society? Is the answer to today’s social problems individuals ‘sorting themselves out’? Speakers: Josh Dickson, Charlotte Gill Politics Is Jordan Peterson a right-winger? Does he even have a political philosophy? Does he understand Marx, or are his criticisms over-simplified and superficial? Taking into accordance that Peterson’s appeal goes beyond conservative circles, do the terms Left and Right even make sense anymore? Speakers: Alexander Douglas, Frank Furedi, Nikos Sotirakopoulos Patriarchy Is Jordan Peterson indeed a sexist and a misogynist? What does he say about the difference between men and women, and how does this contrast with the views expressed by modern feminists? Is there a crisis of masculinity, and are gender roles merely social constructs? Speakers: Yana Nova, Connor Watts, Zuby Chair: Razi Ginzberg Postmodernism What is postmodernism? Is it unfair to describe the postmodern movement as inherently left-wing? Is the cultural tone set by those that Peterson describes as ‘postmodernist neomarxists’? Are the Enlightenment values and the idea of the sovereign individual an over-simplification? Can individuals descent their group identities? Speakers: Razi Ginzberg, Luke Mitchell, Greg Scorzo Chair: Nikos Sotirakopoulos More speakers will be announced shortly.

"The main characteristic of [the anti-conceptual] mentality is a special kind of passivity: not passivity as such and not across-the-board, but passivity beyond a certain limit—i.e., passivity in regard to the process of conceptualization and, therefore, in regard to fundamental principles. It is a mentality which decided, at a certain point of development, that it knows enough and does not care to look further. What does it accept as “enough”? The immediately given, directly perceivable concretes of its background. . . " Ayn Rand, The Missing Link How do humans form concepts? And what happens when we outsource our concept formation to others? What impact have different approaches to epistemology had on societies throughout history, and where can we see manifestations of the different approaches today? In preparation for this discussion, please read the relevant page on the Ayn Rand Lexicon: http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/anti-conceptual_mentality.html It would also be very useful to read Rand's essay 'The Missing Link,' in Philosophy: Who Needs It.