Left is Not Woke
Love it or hate it, #woke is here to stay
"Flesh is interesting. It comes in different sizes and colors and shapes but the bones are the things that bind us and hold us up and also what is left of us when we are gone. Happy to have the flesh be part of the culture, I want the politics to focus on the bones because that’s the only place that you get a sense of common human dignity and common human rights."
-Susan Neiman
“Susan Neiman’s profound wisdom, courage and vision give us a public conception of goodness and a reinvigorated progressive vision. She is a beacon of light and hope in these morally debased times.”
-Cornel West
Woke.
If there is one word that can embody and define so much of what is right and wrong here in America, while mapping out the journey in between, its Woke.
Weapon for the right; as in Ron DeSantis’s lovely “Stop Woke” Act, philosophical (or actual) tattoo alongside the butterflies and infinity symbols for the left, this multi layered word that started out as a way to describe being a non-racist, empathetic, aware and grown ass human (and a lyric in an amazing song) has become much larger and more powerful than it’s mere 4 letters would lead you to believe. (We see you “fuck”) In this episode, Adam sits down with American philosopher, writer, and director of the Einstein Forum, Susan Neiman, author of Left is Not Woke , a brilliantly argued and heady look at this beguiling addition to the modern lexicon. Love it or hate it, #woke is here to stay.
Susan has written extensively on the Enlightenment, moral philosophy, metaphysics, and politics. Her work shows that philosophy is a living force for contemporary thinking and action.
Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, during the Civil Rights Movement, Neiman dropped out of high school to join American activists working for peace and justice. An adept philosopher and public intellectual who has taught at Yale and Tel Aviv University, she has been a member of the Institute for Advanced Study and this is the latest of her nine books. Her upbringing in Atlanta during the Civil Rights Movement sealed her identity on the left.
Links you are going to want after listening to this incredible episode:
Grab Susan’s incredible and digestible book! Left is Not Woke
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/07/opinion/black-dancer-american-ballet-theater.html
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/foucault/
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/schmitt/
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*As a special bonus only for you delightful Dirty Moderate Nation Substack subscribers, Adam does a special intro to the episode and then a powerful post-interview breakdown with his thoughts after spending time with Susan. You will not want to miss either!
Audio:
Substack exclusive audio intro:
Full Episode-Audio version:
Substack Exclusive Post Interview Deep Dive with Adam-Audio
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