This week, HarperCollins is set to release a highly-anticipated work by prominent conservative intellectual Richard Hanania, titled “The Origins of Woke”. Hanania’s book offers a comprehensive examination of the rise of identity politics, presenting the bold claim that contemporary “wokeness” is not merely a cultural phenomenon, but rather rooted in changes to the legal system that began with the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s. In his exploration, Hanania delves into the historical relationship between the legal system, corporate and education policy, and identity politics, providing intriguing insights into this complex topic.
However, despite the notable strengths found within the book, it is essential to address a significant flaw at its core. “The Origins of Woke” is the product of an author whose evident intelligence has been tragically distorted by a toxic blend of racist pseudoscience and misogynistic online rhetoric frequently seen on platforms like 4chan. Hanania’s previous writings, which were exposed in a revealing HuffPost article, indicated his involvement in white supremacist outlets under an anonymous identity. These writings expressed support for eugenics and other racist ideologies. While Hanania claims to have moved past those views, the publication of his latest work raises doubts about his supposed transformation.
Throughout “The Origins of Woke,” Hanania alternates between moments of genuine scholarly analysis and inflammatory blog-like commentary, often invoking race science and subtly endorsing the “Great Replacement” theory. He nostalgically longs for a workplace culture where offensive jokes and sexual harassment were commonplace, perpetuating harmful stereotypes about women and minorities. These troubling aspects of Hanania’s perspective reveal his underlying belief in the supposed inferiority of Black individuals and women compared to white men.
In essence, Richard Hanania remains a white supremacist who has cleverly adorned himself in the habiliments of intellect and academic rigor. While some may argue against “platforming” his work in mainstream outlets, it is crucial to confront the dangers posed by individuals like Hanania. By adopting the guise of a serious scholar, with his degrees from prestigious institutions and his expertise in legal language, Hanania sows seeds of extremism and regression under the veneer of intellectual discourse.
Hanania’s approach can best be described as a Trojan horse strategy, an insidious trend common among far-right figures. By cloaking racist agendas in scholarship, they attract college-educated readers who are wary of “woke” culture, leading them down a path of reactionary and racist ideologies. Hanania follows this playbook, using select observations about the impact of civil-rights law to justify and legitimize his racist ideologies.
Contrary to both conservative and liberal critiques of identity politics, which often attribute its origins to postmodern philosophies and the concept of “cultural Marxism,” Hanania argues that this narrative is a gross oversimplification and grants excessive power to eccentric academics and their theories. Instead, he contends that identity politics arose from the policy changes following the 1964 Civil Rights Act. He emphasizes that many institutions now associated with “wokeness” were initially compelled by the government to consider race and gender in their hiring practices. Hanania provides examples such as Columbia University, which faced the threat of losing federal funding if it did not comply. The fear of financial consequences ultimately drove these institutions to embrace identity politics, not ideological persuasion.
Hanania also highlights the bureaucratic challenges faced by universities when implementing these new policies. Compliance with laws like Title IX and the Civil Rights Acts demanded meticulous record-keeping and data analysis, leading to the creation of diversity departments within these institutions. These bureaucratic overhauls were not accompanied by proactive intellectual developments but rather retroactively crafted “woke” ideas to justify and legitimize the imposed changes.
While Hanania’s argument possesses some explanatory power, it oversimplifies the complex historical factors contributing to the rise of identity politics. It inadequately addresses the role of progressive activism and underestimates the full scope of the phenomenon. As readers engage with “The Origins of Woke,” it would be prudent to maintain a critical perspective and consider other perspectives on this multifaceted topic.
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