YOUR LETTERS Peterson is a national embarrassment

Re: High praise for controversial professor, Nathan Geide column, Dec. 26.

I am horrified to see you praise Jordan B. Peterson, that proud misogynistic, transphobic, Isalmophoic friend of the alt-right and neo-Nazis so aptly described by Maclean’s as “the stupid man’s smart person.”

The same person who earnestly argues that Western feminists won’t criticize Islam because they secretly want to be dominated by men. The same person who is just sad that he can’t hit woman.

The same person who shares a bed with white supremacists. The same outdated Jungian psychologist who lost SSHRC funding because the work lacked merit – clearly an academic conspiracy and not an indication of his academic prowess.

But first: to state that there are no Canadian philosophers is to admit that you neither follow nor care to learn about Canadian philosophers. One can look to the great Charles Taylor, influencer of Canadian idealism. Or Mary O’Brien, a feminist political philosopher. (I know this may shock Peterson fans, but she’s a woman who thought for herself.)

And then there is Will Kymlicka, thinker of nationalism, minorities, and immigration policies.

Canada has a rich tapestry of intellectual heavyweights who inspire all of us to think more deeply and more honestly, to look to the past and foster hope and understanding for the future.

Peterson, on the other hand, believes that the Disney film Frozen is pure propaganda because he is deeply offended that women characters succeeded without the help of a man.

He can’t understand philosophy, so he butchers great thinkers and lies to his followers to hide his own ineptitudes. Fortunately for Peterson, his followers (who call him “Daddy” like rational individuals) are also too inept to critically examine anything Peterson says or tweets.

This is the antithesis of philosophy. Philosophy, even when one agrees with the views or opinions of the philosopher, is an exercise in exploration and critical analysis. It is not a string a thinly-veiled alt-right, white supremacist dog whistles.

Jordan Peterson is a national embarrassment. He represents nothing but hate and the sort of mindless, superficial self-help platitudes that have existed in every self-help book since the dawn of commercial printing. (One could very likely purchase such drivel for under $5 in the clearance bin of Books & Company and walk away with greater insight into personal agency.)

Jordan Peterson does not represent Canada, and that goodness for that. You can keep your intellectually dishonest charlatan to yourself.

I am horrified to see you praise Jordan B. Peterson, that proud misogynistic, transphobic, Isalmophoic friend of the alt-right and neo-Nazis so aptly described by Maclean’s as “the stupid man’s smart person.”

Steph Walden Prince George