Ep. 196 ‘The Identity Trap’ by Yascha Mounk

Writer and academic Yascha Mounk argues that a new set of ideas
about race, gender, and sexual orientation have overtaken
society, giving rise to a rigid focus on identity in our national
debate. In his new book, “The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and
Power in Our Time,” Yascha seeks to take these ideas seriously,
understand their origin, dissect their merits and failings, and
offer a path forward to avoid what he calls “the identity
trap.”

On today’s show, Mounk previews his book and explains how the
identity trap harms freedom of speech.


Mounk is known for his work on the rise of populism and the
crisis of liberal democracy. He is a professor of the practice of
international affairs at Johns Hopkins University and the author
of five books. He is also the founder of the digital magazine
Persuasion, a contributing editor at The Atlantic, and a senior
fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.


Transcript:


https://www.thefire.org/research-learn/so-speak-podcast-transcript-identity-trap-yascha-mounk


Timestamps:


0:00 - Introduction

1:35 - Origins of “the identity trap”

8:48 - What is “identity synthesis?”

12:26 - Is “cultural Marxism” a thing? / The intellectual
history of identity synthesis

27:47 - Critical race theory

32:30 - Free speech culture

40:22 - Speech and violence

47:58 - The Law of Group Polarization 

52:27 - How to escape the identity trap



Discussed intellectuals: 




Derrick Bell 




Kimberlé Crenshaw 




Jacques Derrida 




Michel Foucault




Christopher Rufo (Rufo’s book, “America’s Cultural
Revolution,” and Nico’s review, “Christopher Rufo Became the
Thing He Claims to Hate”)




Edward Said




Jean-Paul Sartre




Gayatri Spivak 




Cass Sunstein (article: “The Law of Group Polarization”)




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