Ideology-Based Investigations, Myths, and Blind Spots in Academia and Society

I define Ideology-Based Investigations (IBIs) as inquiries that are not grounded in a rigorous scientific theoretical framework, where hypotheses can be tested. Instead, they rely on philosophical or legal scholarship that presents a veneer of scientific credibility. When these investigations originate from the left, they are rooted in post-modern or critical theory scholarship. Conversely, when they come from the right, they are associated with a mythological interpretation of past and present history. The American philosopher Michael Huemer [1], has referred to these as “progressive myths” when propagated by the left, but we should also recognize the concept of “reactionary myths” for those promoted by the right. Both currents contain elements of conspiracy theory at their core and are based on presumed power dynamics related either to the oppressor-oppressed binary (from the left) or to a narrative of domination (from the right).

In academia in Western countries, the oppressor-oppressed binary (OOB) is pushed to its utmost limits. Ideologically driven theoretical frameworks, which lack a foundation in rigorous scientific investigation, are employed to further this agenda. The OOB is promoted by institutions of higher education, academies, and national and international funding bodies, and it has permeated many areas of the private sector (including cultural institutions). In the USA, the OOB has reached an inflection point, while in Europe, it continues to rise. A notable example is the funded projects from the European Union, including prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grants.

One such recently funded grant is represented by WEIRD, a consolidator ERC grant. As stated by the project coordinator [2],

“Despite the increasing engagement of disabled and queer scholars and societal actors in environmental and climate justice, their voices are rarely considered in research and action on sustainability transformations. Using an inter- and transdisciplinary approach, this project aims to understand and redefine the often-neglected contributions of disability and queer scholarship, as well as societal initiatives around sustainability, towards new theories, methodologies, and ethics of just and emancipatory sustainability transformations. WEIRD will: (1) overcome the fragmentation of disability and queer scholarship around sustainability; (2) explain how disability and queer societal initiatives contribute to just sustainability transformations by subverting ableistic and cis/heteronormative social norms; (3) develop new theories of emancipatory sustainability transformations that rely on subversive social norms; (4) generate new transformative methodologies in sustainability science; and (5) redefine transformative justice for sustainability and the ethics of sustainability science.”

This short text contains all the buzzwords and tropes encountered in this kind of scholarship (disabled, queer, climate justice, emancipatory sustainability, subverting ableistic and cis/heteronormative social norms, etc.). This ideological queer/ableist framework will lead to self-fulfilling results and confirmation bias. For instance, queer theory does not meet the standards of a sound scientific theory. According to an accepted definition of “queer” [3], "Queer is, by definition, whatever is at odds with the normal, the legitimate, the dominant. There is nothing in particular to which it necessarily refers. It is an identity without an essence. 'Queer,' then, demarcates not a positivity but a positionality vis-à-vis the normative." Thus, it aims at destroying the notion of normalcy, and this is incompatible with
physiology, biology, evolution and psychology.

Moreover, the WEIRD acronym was previously coined by Joseph Henrich, a professor at Harvard University, and stands for “Western, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic” [4]. His work represents a rigorous and significant scientific accomplishment based on quantitative data that combines anthropology, economics, and evolutionary theory to explain the unique psychology of Westerners. It is disingenuous for the same acronym to be used for a project anchored in social justice scholarship, which is incompatible with sound scientific investigation. The fact that projects like WEIRD are funded by a prestigious ERC grant reflects the deep ideological penetration of European institutions by ideas foreign to rigorous scientific thought.

Mythological readings of the past and present are rarely found in academia today but are widespread in authoritarian societies such as Russia. Authoritarians justify their politics by inventing a mythological past. This is evident in Putin’s Russia, where he argues that Ukraine and Russia have always been historically united and that Muscovy and Tsarist Russia are the heirs of Kievan Rus [5]. Timothy Snyder has extensively analyzed and refuted all of Putin’s and his followers' claims [6].

There is also a fringe right-wing movement called Christian nationalists [7], which references a fascist past and theorists such as the legal scholar Carl Schmitt. Reactionary myths are dangerous, as they have been used in the past by fascists and totalitarians to justify aggressive military expansionism and domination. Their resurgence is concerning. Reactionary myths must be opposed and vigorously denounced due to their potential danger to any open society.

Another problem is the blind spots of individuals who, while doing otherwise outstanding work and taking a courageous stand on many issues, fail to see certain ideological pitfalls. People like Timothy Snyder and Anne Applebaum (from the center-left) or Douglas Murray and Gad Saad (conservative-moderate right) are defenders of democracy and open society and are rightly opposed to authoritarianism of any nature [8, 9, 10, 11]. Snyder’s and Appelbaum’s analyses of historical events, especially regarding Ukraine and Russia, are commendable [8, 9], as is their support for justice and liberty. However, they fail to acknowledge the failures of the left and the ideological penetration and cancel culture that have infiltrated academia and society. This inconsistency is notable, as both see themselves within the rationalist Enlightenment tradition, which is incompatible with the irrationality of woke claims.

Douglas Murray is a brilliant writer and journalist who defends open society from a more conservative viewpoint [10]. He is hostile to theocracies and religious fundamentalism, a staunch critic of the Woke movement, and a defender of Israel. His criticisms of the Democratic Party are sound, but he does not fully engage with authoritarianism. Gad Saad, a professor at Concordia University in Montreal and a prolific YouTuber, shares Douglas Murray's political viewpoint (strong criticism of the woke, hostility toward religious fundamentalism, defense of Israel) [11]. However, some of Saad’s positions seem excessive as he aligns himself with hard-liner republican positions and rejects many even reasonable viewpoints of the Democratic Party.

These are a few examples of the blind spots of otherwise intelligent and well-intentioned individuals. It does not take much to go just one step further, to have the courage for moral clarity, and to stand against all ideas or ideologies that promote falsehood and post-truth. It is a matter of coherence in defending truth against the assaults of people from every corner of the political spectrum who are inventing a mythological past or a utopian future.

REFERENCES

1. ‎Huemer M.  Progressive Myths Independently published (September 15, 2024) 277 pages, ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8332272172

2. https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/en/projects/whose-sustainability-understanding-and-redefining-just-sustainabi

3. Halperin DM. Saint Foucault Towards a Gay Hagiography. Oxford University Press;, 256 pages   ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195111273 1997

4. Henrich J. The Weirdest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous Farrar, Straus and Giroux (8 Sept. 2020)  ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0374173222

5.  http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181

6.. https://snyder.substack.com/p/putins-genocidal-myth

7. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christian-nationalism

8. Snyder T On Freedom. ‎ Bodley Head, 368 pages, ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1847928056 – 19 Sept. 2024; 

9. Applebaum A. Autocracy, Inc: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World, ‎ Penguin (23 July 2024), 223 pages, Page, ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0241627893 

10. Murray D. The War on the West: How to Prevail in the Age of Unreason, ‎ HarperCollins, ‎ 320 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0008492492 – 28 April 2022

11. Saad G. The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense. Regnery (12 Nov. 2020), 235 pages, ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 162157959X