The Origins of Wokeness: A Performative Morality From Academia
2025-01-13
This essay explores the origins and evolution of "wokeness." The author argues that "wokeness" isn't a new phenomenon but stems from the 1980s, when student activists from the 1960s became professors and infused their political views into academia, birthing the first wave of political correctness. Social media and media polarization fueled the second wave, creating "cancel culture" and amplifying outrage through algorithms. The author views "wokeness" as performative moralism, its danger lying in substituting complex rules for genuine virtue. Currently in retreat, the author suggests handling it like religion to prevent future occurrences and maintain intellectual pluralism.