4 ms·

Jordan Peterson is a psychology professor and classical liberal. He has a big following of alt-right nutbags but isn't himself alt-right as far as I'm aware. [

Jordan Peterson is a psychology professor and classical liberal. He has a big following of alt-right nutbags but isn't himself alt-right as far as I'm aware. [edit: originally included Stefan Molyneux in my defense but having taken a look it seems he's started putting out much more alt-right content].

throwanem 9y ago
Molyneux is pretty indefensible, yeah - not because he's outside mainstream opinion, but because he is a severely tendentious reasoner with a nasty habit of picking call-in guests for the weakness of their arguments, the better to dominate the conversation and make his own ideas look unassailable. In any context where he doesn't get to pick his own opponents in debate, I confide he'd get owned in very short order - which I suspect is why he is so hard to find in such contexts. Disagreement with the prevailing orthodoxy is one thing - I'd like to hope there's no one here who fails to see the value in honorable, substantive dissent, even from an orthodoxy with which one strongly agrees in general. The trouble with Molyneux is not that he dissents, but that in doing so he fails to display either of those meritable traits.
- beaconstudios 9y ago
  very true. He also seems to have been pandering to his newly found audience of authoritarians too which is an odd position for a proclaimed libertarian. Plus the old "not an argument" line that he throws around a lot.
boona 9y ago
> he's started putting out much more alt-right content Alt-right means white nationalist, and it shouldn't be confused with civic nationalism, which is something altogether different.
- beaconstudios 9y ago
  agreed, but he's done videos on "white genocide" and other alt-right talking points. He's certainly treading a thin line.
  - cisanti 9y ago
    What are you talking about, what white genocide videos? Give me a source. And if you believe in something "your enemy" also happens to believe in doesn't mean you are on a thin line. The World doesn't work that way, propaganda, especially political does on the other hand.
    - beaconstudios 9y ago
      He's not my enemy, I used to be quite a big fan when his content was primarily about libertarianism. I just withdrew my defense of him that put him in the same position as Peterson because I feel that he has begun to court the alt right audience he has acquired. I'm on my phone right now but I'll grab links in a bit.
      - cisanti 9y ago
        Sure, grab me a link. I like his lectures and ideas even though I don't have much in common. He's extremely reasonable man and a good symbol for conservatives. If you demonize him, you're against idiots. If all the conservatives would be a bit like him, we would live ina a better world.

throwanem 9y ago

Molyneux is pretty indefensible, yeah - not because he's outside mainstream opinion, but because he is a severely tendentious reasoner with a nasty habit of picking call-in guests for the weakness of their arguments, the better to dominate the conversation and make his own ideas look unassailable. In any context where he doesn't get to pick his own opponents in debate, I confide he'd get owned in very short order - which I suspect is why he is so hard to find in such contexts. Disagreement with the prevailing orthodoxy is one thing - I'd like to hope there's no one here who fails to see the value in honorable, substantive dissent, even from an orthodoxy with which one strongly agrees in general. The trouble with Molyneux is not that he dissents, but that in doing so he fails to display either of those meritable traits.

beaconstudios 9y ago
very true. He also seems to have been pandering to his newly found audience of authoritarians too which is an odd position for a proclaimed libertarian. Plus the old "not an argument" line that he throws around a lot.

boona 9y ago

> he's started putting out much more alt-right content Alt-right means white nationalist, and it shouldn't be confused with civic nationalism, which is something altogether different.

beaconstudios 9y ago
agreed, but he's done videos on "white genocide" and other alt-right talking points. He's certainly treading a thin line.
- cisanti 9y ago
  What are you talking about, what white genocide videos? Give me a source. And if you believe in something "your enemy" also happens to believe in doesn't mean you are on a thin line. The World doesn't work that way, propaganda, especially political does on the other hand.
  - beaconstudios 9y ago
    He's not my enemy, I used to be quite a big fan when his content was primarily about libertarianism. I just withdrew my defense of him that put him in the same position as Peterson because I feel that he has begun to court the alt right audience he has acquired. I'm on my phone right now but I'll grab links in a bit.
    - cisanti 9y ago
      Sure, grab me a link. I like his lectures and ideas even though I don't have much in common. He's extremely reasonable man and a good symbol for conservatives. If you demonize him, you're against idiots. If all the conservatives would be a bit like him, we would live ina a better world.