Announcing the Release of “Myth and Mayhem: A Leftist Critique of Jordan Peterson”

“Peterson himself described some of its symptomatic features in Maps of Meaning when he discusses how the breakdown of traditional mythopoetic traditions generated a sense of nihilistic uncertainty…”

Introduction

We live in an increasingly chaotic world. This owes much to the precarity engendered by 21st century neoliberalism, which put forward the allure of unlimited personal freedom so long as working people and minorities abandoned their civic capacity to demand egalitarian change. In the aftermath of the 2008 Recession—when the contradictions and instabilities of the Washington consensus and neoliberal governance exposed the naked emperor in all his ideological frailty—one saw a resurgence of energy on the Left. Many once more saw the opportunity to push for a fairer world, where resources and power were distributed in a more just manner. These developments are climaxing now in the push to get genuinely Left candidates into office in both the United Kingdom and the United States, which would solidify a major sea change in the politics of developed states.

The Decay of the Post-Modern Epoch

For all the optimism this may induce, every progressive step forward brings with it the risk of conservative reaction. We are currently inhabiting a highly reactionary period, with post-modern conservatives like Donald Trump and Boris Johnson advancing right-wing agendas designed to re-entrench traditional authority figures (and groups) atop the social hierarchy. Many are calling for the retreat of democracy or are castigating the advance of marginalized groups who agitate for their fair share, dismissing them as the resentful, ungrateful product of so-called “post-modern neo Marxist” indoctrination. By far the most famous intellectual associated with this pushback is Jordan Peterson. The Canadian psychologist and University of Toronto Professor is the author of the best-selling 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos and has millions of followers on YouTube and Twitter. He is also well-known as a critic of the “radical left,” characterizing social justice activists as totalitarian and offering scathing denunciations of progressive thinkers and agitators. Peterson is also a frequent guest at various conservative media outlets to denounce the evils of political correctness and identity politics. These efforts have made him a hero to many conservatives, while also catalyzing an onslaught of progressive commentary pointing out the numerous flaws in his analysis. These shortcomings range from his questionable understanding of left-wing theory to his unfortunate tendency to associate with some unsavory figures on the far-right, which cost him a prestigious gig at Cambridge. These critiques are often well-founded, but so far there has been a lack of systematic engagement with his thinking as a whole. This includes a lack of in-depth examination of his works such as Maps of Meaning and his other academic publications.

The book also includes a lengthy introduction by Slavoj Žižek, which both examines the place of Peterson in contemporary culture and looks back on their debate several months ago.

Our book Myth and Mayhem: A Leftist Critique of Jordan Peterson is intended to fill this gap. It is going to be released on April 24th with Zero Books. It examines Peterson’s intellectual output and offers comprehensive criticisms of many dimensions of his thought, ranging from his support for capitalism to his denunciation of the post-modern left. It is written by four authors, Matt McManus, Ben Burgis, Conrad Hamilton, and Marion Trejo, each of whom brings their respective expertise to the table when examining Peterson’s work. The book also includes a lengthy introduction by Slavoj Žižek, which both examines the place of Peterson in contemporary culture and looks back on their debate several months ago.