What to do next
Counter Wokecraft was published in November of 2021. It describes the caustic and destructive Critical Social Justice (Woke) project, the tactics used to implement it and how it can be countered. Dorian read it and has been successfully putting it into practice to the point that he is now a member of the 7-member committee of the council of the university senate of the University of Chicago. (Congratulations, Dorian!) After his election to the committee, he asked if I would provide my opinion on how best to work towards the reform of our universities in a new position. Here is a short attempt to do this. We start from the scenario of someone being named to a new position in a committee, board or university body that I’ll refer to simply as a body.
Before anything else, it’s important to be clear about what to work for, and in particular the three fundamental principles upon which the university is built and that have allowed universities to shape the success of the world we live in today. These principles, like the university itself, have their origins in classical antiquity and are the following: there is such a thing as truth; truth can be approached through unfettered inquiry and open debate; and finally, that responsibility and authority should be granted according to aptitude as opposed to nepotism, chauvinism or identitarianism. The first defines the mission of the university while the second and third are essential components for the mission to be successful. The struggle to get our universities back from the clutches of the destructive Critical Social Justice ideology will ultimately rely upon upholding, and advocating for, these three principles.
Upon entering any position of influence, and possibly even before if you’re trying to understand where best to aim your efforts, you need to know two main things. First, you need to understand what power or influence the position and body holds. Does the body have decision making authority on budgets, university governance, hiring, programs, curriculum, etc.? You’ll also need to know the nature and true extent of the influence the position or body has in the university. For example, university senates often have the “last say” in major university decisions but in reality, and by convention and precedence, they often function to rubber stamp many decisions made at lower levels. Overturning some decisions in such circumstances can be controversial and difficult. While this might be worthwhile, it is important to understand the possibilities of “blowback” before deciding on any given course of action and this is governed partly by such conventions.
Understanding the role of the body requires research by formal and informal avenues. Formal avenues include knowing and understanding the structure of decision-making at the university including its foundational and governing documents such as a university’s charter, its by-laws, constitution, organizational structure, interaction with collective agreements, etc. Informally, it will be necessary to discuss with existing members of the body itself or others knowledgeable about the administration of the university. The formal documentation will describe the theoretical power of the body, while informal information will help to understand its actual power.
The second thing you’ll need to know and understand is how people are named to the body and how they are removed. This is essential because one of the most important aspects of being in such a position is influencing the composition of the body itself by replacing Woke members with like-minded allies. This requires understanding who is a like-minded ally and working with them.
As such, and before starting work in earnest, you need to evaluate and get to know the other members of the committee. This is most directly done by participating in meetings of the body. Such information can also be drawn from public information about the members (their websites, publication record, traditional and social media interventions, etc.). Chapter 3.3 of Counter Wokecraft goes into detail how you can identify allies in such circumstances. Once you identify allies, you’ll need to reach out to them and attempt to work with them (Chapter 3.5): to identify goals and work towards them - together. Little progress can be made alone.
One part of working with allies is gauging the degree to which they will be willing to take a public stand. This will affect the dynamics of the body and the strategies you adopt in trying to influence its decisions. An important strategy for gaining strength in a body when there are allies unwilling to publicly take a stand, is to encourage strategies facilitating dissent from Woke orthodoxy, ideally having all decisions made through secret ballot votes (particularly if with this support you will be in a majority).
Keeping the above in mind, the next step is to work with your allies toward restoring the university to its mission and steer it away from the Critical Social Justice ethos that now governs it. This will involve ensuring a dominant position of like-minded allies and using the decision-making authority to have the most impact on upholding the three fundamental principles of the university.
If you can get into an influential position, try to do it. If you succeed in getting such a position, take your work seriously. The future of our civilization depends on it.
Somewhere in North America
5 May 2023