Definitions
Many of these subjects overlap and have had many books written about them, so much of this is generalizations. Some of the brilliant people that have worked on these projects have some great insights into the human condition also, I just vehemently disagree with their Marxist, secular, nihilistic, SJW, Woke conclusions. Many of these descriptions barely scratch the surface. (A work in progress)
Woke: Awakened to the oppressive powers of the White race and patriarchy working around you in our society today. Through education (indoctrination) your eyes have been opened to the tools those in power use to keep the masses under their control and enslavement especially the other races and women. All society is being manipulated with language, culture, history, and law. These Manipulations include reason, debate and freedom of speech. Woke Critical Race Theory originates in German Critical Theory from which French Post Modernism developed. The Frankfurt school of Critical theory came out of Germany imported into the USA’s universities in the 1940s by Marxist fleeing the Nazis and popular French Post-Modernist of the mid to late twentieth century. In their reality everything in society and culture is based on power and politics and reality itself is a social construct.
Modernism: The achievements of our modern world 1700s to now. Based in Reason, science, and Logic. Prior to the age of Reason Kings, Priests, and Aristocracy held absolute rule over the common person, we were just serfs and peasants, there was no autonomy (The right to choose how one would live their own life or what they would think and believe.) The common person was destitute, poor, and enslaved in serfdom with an average life expectancy of 40 years.
Kant: (Very influential) There is knowledge we can gain from reason (a priori) There is knowledge we only get from experience (a posteriori). Established transcendental idealism, the thought that we can only know objects as we see them shaped by our mind and experience not as they really are. I would say this is the foundation of modern radical skepticism maybe strengthening Hume’s skepticism. Kant also concludes that since we are limited by our minds and experiences that our minds have shaped there may be things in the universe beyond our minds and senses that we cannot perceive or know. There are concepts beyond our capacity to know. Kant was very fond of Rousseau also. Some of Kant’s philosophy was meant to show that there was a possibility for God and just because reason and rationality may be used to discredit Gods existence, they were out of line delving into the unknowable.
Hegel: History is a dialectic. thesis, antithesis and synthesis. Prevailing Ideals (Thesis), challenging Ideals (antithesis) combine for new ideals (synthesis), repeat. The State is the group conscious. you cannot lose you freedom to the state because it is the group conscious, True freedom is found in submitting to the state.
Marx and Engels: Altered Hegel and changed his dialectic to ruling class (thesis) working class (antithesis) revolution (synthesis) repeat. eliminating class and culture will change human nature for the better. A Capitalist economy is just a step in the development of a society, and it will mature naturally and develop into a Socialist society.
Scientific Marxism: Combines materialism and evolution with Marxism although Marx already seen his theory as scientific. The world we know was created by opposite random forces reacting upon each other.
Neo-Marxism, Critical Theory, Marcuse, Adorno, Horkheimer, Habermas: Trying to examine subjects by seeing through outer appearances. Combines Marxist Sociology with Freudian psychology. This doctrine was born at the Frankfurt School in Germany and came to the USA by Marxist fleeing the Nazi takeover of the 1930-40s. They believe all narratives are false, made up by us scared little primates in a big universe to explain things like male and female, good or evil, God etc… Western cultures ideals and history are just feel-good stories to comfort ourselves. There is no real meaning to life but what the person decides it is under the influence of the culture and language of their society which is shaped by those in power. Humanity is just a bundle of suppressed erotic emotions and primal instincts who are being sub-consciously manipulated by those in power. Those in power manipulate and oppress the masses. If you are happy, you are just deceived by the evil “Industrial State.” Freedom of speech and reason are just tools of the oppressors. These doctrines are in the roots of many other theories like: Conflict Theory, Critical Race Theory, Gender Studies…. Note: You can look on the negative side of anything, if you look for the positive you can find that too.
Post Modernism: The critique of our modern world. Which is fine but the problem is it is always done with the Marxist, Socialist, Communist Utopian perspective that never critiques their own failures only the Classic Western Tradition. Post Modern thinkers combine Radical Skepticism, Critical Theory, Neo-Marxism, Rousseau, and Existentialism. French intellectuals picked up where the Frankfurt School left off and were popular on US campuses from the 1960s thru 80s. They believe those in power shape language, society, and culture. Their conclusion from a Marxist perspective is the Evil industrial State is manipulating our world through these powers and false narratives. Reality and Truth are shaped by humanity. Consciousness is unable to distinguish reality from fantasy, especially in our high-tech world. They believe through controlling language and education they can change culture and society and human nature itself. Scientific achievements are even questioned as they believe they have brought more harm than good.
Post Structuralism, Deconstruction, Foucault, Derrida: Examines how language is shaped by power. How the western cannon is feel good stories about itself written by those holding power. Language is fluid there is no truth. History and knowledge are structured by those that held power at the time. Our beings are shaped by the structure of our language which has been manipulated by those in power. Examines the motives behind history and literature which they admit are subjective interpretations.
Materialistic Reductionism, Scientific Marxism: You are just a product of atoms bouncing around at random. You are just a matter in motion chemical reaction of random mutations. Your thoughts are nothing but chemical reactions. Self-Consciousness is just a figment of our imagination. Man is just and animal that evolved over millions of years starting out as a chemical reaction in a pool of water after it started raining on the rocks a billion years ago. Survival of the fittest (Darwinian Evolution)
Environmental Determinism: Individualism, self-consciousness and free will are just a figment of your imagination. You are just a product of cause and effect, as are your choices in life. You are shaped by instinct, biology, language, culture and society, there are no personal choices or responsibility.
Relativism, Legal Positivism, Values Clarification: There is no Natural Law or Moral Law or God’s Law. The truth is what those in power decide it is. Morals and rights are subjective and those in power decide what they are. Note: Our Declaration of Independence was ridiculed by European Intellectuals for mentioning Natural Law and Self-Evident truths right from the start.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Jacobians, Hegel, Secular Humanism: The state is the group conscious. You cannot lose your freedom to the state because it is the group conscience. Control the truth and control power. A person should be glad to give their life to the state. The state has the right to brutalize and even take the life of those that dissent.
Positivism, Pragmatism, Humanism, Statism: Human Rights and Laws are created by and come from the state.
Existentialism (Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre): Reality is shaped by the human experience, and we can know nothing outside ourselves or objectively. Reality is shaped by our emotion. Emotion overrides truth. Truth cannot be known it is subjective. Life is a power struggle.
Maoism: Provoke revolution by any means and at any cost. Create a permanent state of revolution.
Common Sense Realism (Reverend Thomas Reid): God gave us the five senses and reason so that we can know our world and reality. God gave his revealed word to teach us what we could not learn by examining his creation. (Baconian deduction also) We have innate abilities to live in time and our three-dimensional world and a conscience that with training can guide us through it morally. Examines the complexity of our senses to know the real world. This was Reid’s answer to Hume’s skepticism and Locke’s blank slate theory. Mentioned in our founders’ writings and introduced into the thirteen colonies through Princeton by The Reverend John Witherspoon and taught to our founding generation. Influential for 200 plus years in our western culture.
Classic Western Tradition, John Locke, John Stewart Mills: Individual rights, property rights, free markets, rule of law, tolerance, no harm principal, equal treatment under the law, personal responsibility, self-determination, freedom of speech and thought, Biblical morals and values, and government by consent of the governed.