Eric Kaufmann is a political scientist and professor at the University of Buckingham, and one of the few academics who has tried to define what people mean when they talk about “woke” as an ideology, rather than just a term of criticism.

Much of the current discussion around these ideas is confused or imprecise. In this conversation, we slow things down and start at the beginning. What is “woke”? Is it a coherent worldview, or something more diffuse? How does it differ from older traditions on the left, and how much influence does it have in Canadian institutions and public life?

Kaufmann suggests that what we are seeing is less a traditional political ideology and more a moral or cultural movement, one that defines certain ideas as sacred, establishes strong taboos, and increasingly shapes the norms of public life.

What makes his perspective distinct is that he does not frame this as a top-down political project, but as something that has developed more organically, with real moral motivations behind it, even as it creates tension and conflict.

This is a conversation about definitions, assumptions, and trying to think more clearly about a set of ideas that are often talked about, but not always carefully examined.

Professor Kaufmann is the author of several books on these topics, including Taboo and The Third Awokening.

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Opening Song: Aria 51 by MicroBongo Soundsystem, used with permission.