How do we solve a problem like Peterson?

Jordan Peterson. Image courtesy of Toronto Star via Getty Images (2017)

Figures like we have discussed in class, epitomized by Jordan Peterson, pose an interesting conundrum: How do we address his rhetoric? I would like to clarify that I am not a fan of Jordan Peterson, nor have I consumed much of his content, so it is difficult to approach a figure.

As we have discussed in class, free speech is pivotal to maintaining democracy and individual liberty. And the U.S. law has no definition of Free Speech, and in addition, the U.S. The Supreme Court has made several decisions that determine that what could be considered Hate Speech is protected by the First Amendment. That is not to say I agree or disagree with their statement, but rather a statement of fact.

I do not think deplatforming, censuring, or silencing these sort of controversial figures is the option. Private for profit companies like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. have the power to remove accounts as they see fit according to their guidelines. Some of these guidelines are quite clear: pornography, death threats, etc. Some of the guidelines are poorly defined and harder to apply consistently: harassment, bullying, hate speech. However, I think this is a very dangerous game…allowing for-profit companies to determine what speech is permissible is a nightmare waiting to happen. Obviously, the problem is really nuanced…these companies have their own liabilities and responsibilities (i.e. Facebook has been chastised by Congress for encouraging disinformation on their platform), however these companies have a lot of power over public opinion and discourse which can and could be abused at any time. I think we need to be cautious about these companies. And while the rhetoric of some figures, like Peterson, can be harmful, unless their rhetoric is particularly egregious and threatening, deplatforming these figures sets a dangerous precedent.

Even if these programs were to deplatform figures like Peterson, as we have seen with many right-wing or right-leaning thinkers, their large cult of personality can bring their followers to other media. For example, Alex Jones' followers followed him passionately to InfoWars after the company was banned from FaceBook and Youtube. Then, these viewers isolated in the echo-chamber of non-democratized media have even more opportunity to radicalize.

I think the best way to combat these figures is through discourse and education. Preparing our citizens with media literacy, empathy, civic knowledge, and critical thinking skills, are necessary for people to be able to adequately equip them to consume material like Petersons’ and be able to weigh its harm alongside what perhaps might not be harmful. As we move farther towards polarized media, the preparation of building informed, empathetic and critical citizenship is the solution to the problem. With proper tools, people will be far more capable of parsing through Peterson, Shapiro, Maher, Carlson, etc. It is my hope that in the coming years we can better prepare our citizens to engage with the media. And this will benefit people on both sides of the political spectrum, as figures on both sides of the spectrum manipulate information or distribute harmful rhetoric. Perhaps that is idealistic of me.

I think in discussing figures like Peterson, one must really understand his content. I think it is important to consume content that does not align with our own ideology, we must be challenged and aware of what is being circulated in the world. People should know what Peterson is talking about, and introduce his content with caveats or qualifiers, as Rana has done for us. I think we should also allow individuals to disagree and agree with specific positions that a figure encompasses. For example, I think we can recognize and disavow Peterson’s position on gender identity, transpeople and feminism, while understanding that his stance on decriminalizing drugs would benefit black and brown populations that have been unfairly incarcerated at higher rates than their white counterparts.

Countering these controversial figures, regardless of which side of the isle, is a question of education (not necessarily in the traditional sense) and critical thinking. And we have seen individuals tackle Cancel Culture in long-form content that allows for nuance in this course. The same has been done in response to Peterson, and figures like him. Well-written, contextualizing, easy to access content (both in language and format), are key in engaging with figures like Peterson and denouncing harmful rhetoric, without promoting “Culture War” discourse and fighting.

I think with proper education, people will be equipped to critically engage with figures like Peterson and do so without the intense polarization we see today. The capacity to understand nuance, complexity, and to critically engage with media and personalities is the answer--and these should be our goals for forming citizens anyway.