Commentary on the Book by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsey “Cynical Theories” (Applied Postmodernism, the Concept of Social Justice, Queer Theory)

Abstract

The article discusses a book by H. Placrouse and J. Lindsey. They analyze the theories of applied postmodernism in some detail, showing that these practices emerged from the applied turn of postmodernism. Another source is the social justice movement and concepts. The main ideas of applied postmodernism are formulated: the absence of metanarratives and belief in objective reality, the constructiveness of social reality and concepts, the power of language and narratives, the deconstruction of social reality, which is understood as repressive, the restructuring of social life. The reasons explaining the popularity of applied postmodern theories are analyzed: they promise a solution to the problem of social justice for the masses; Universities act as a source of training of unique personnel for the implementation of these theories; firms and the establishment prefer not to oppose the fighters for social justice, hoping to eventually direct their activity in the right direction. Queer Theory is considered in more detail, the subject of which are the phenomena of sex, gender, sexuality, identification in these realities. The author draws parallels between the approach of Queer Theory and esoteric teachings: both here and there, belief in true reality (but differently understood) and the supervalue of a free person. On the example of historical concepts of love, where the social plan prevailed over the biological one, the question of the relationship between these two plans is examined, and in this regard, the negative consequences of the implementation of Queer Theory are outlined. The author shows that social concepts and models transform the biological plan, but not in such a way as to completely cancel it or completely subjugate it. These concepts and models are being corrected in order to ensure, among other things, biological functions and processes, and quite fully, even to raise them to new heights. At the end of the article, it is doubted that following liberal principles and the problems that arise in the course of implementing cynical theories will quickly lead to disillusionment with applied postmodernism.