Jordan Peterson
12/6/19
Jordan Peterson (happy birthday!) is a psychology professor from the University of Toronto who has risen to prominence since he launched a YouTube channel and published a book called 12 Rules For Life in 2018. Many skeptics, atheists and rationalists see him as a rationalist and follow his work. He is part of the Intellectual Dark Web (which has been covered in a previous fact of the day) and he appears to revel in controversy.
Peterson has made the argument that forcing women to provide sex for men is a legitimate way to expect society to run and is a hero to the “incel community” (involuntary celibate). He masks his misogyny with pseudo-intellectual language which can sound persuasive but in doing so he uses his position and his education to give legitimacy to abhorrent views.
He has become a rallying figure for those on the Alt-right due to his opposition to “political correctness” and he rejects the notion of “privilege”. Peterson has come to represent a view that many who reject this concept have; people who often have never had to overcome any real obstacles simply because of their status and inherent success. They see other commentators pointing out that less advantaged people have to work harder simply to get to the same place, as a personal attack on their rewards and success. Peterson is also doubtful of the scientific consensus on climate change and despite being the darling of some in the atheist community is a self-professed believer in a deity. To see Petersen in action, see his debates with Atheist Matt Dillahunty - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgAoQBgM558