Jordan Peterson warrants sharper analysis

Re I was Jordan Peterson’s strongest supporter. Now I think he’s dangerous, May 26 What exactly was the point of publishing the recent article by his former colleague, Bernard Schiff? It comes off as a resentful attempt to discredit Peterson as an angry and unstable person. That’s a major claim coming from an academic, and it deserves a lot more justification based on the actual ideas of Peterson, in this case his published philosophical world view, and not anecdotes and hearsay about Schiff’s personal experience with him. As someone who gives the impression that he was friends with Peterson, I find the article wholly dishonourable. If you think your friend is “losing it,” talk to them. See what’s going on. They might be in serious pain or dark place that you should help them out of. Paul Salvatori, Toronto Jordan Peterson worked with my legal consulting company, Praxis Partners, in his early days at the University of Toronto. I did not then agree with all of Peterson’s ideas, nor he with mine, but I always left our discussions and debates feeling very much alive and energized. I recognized Jordan for what he is — a brilliant, divergent thinker and a provocateur. He has this rare ability to shake up our thinking and, yes, to stir reaction.

It is far too easy for us all to settle in to comfortable complacency. I hope that people everywhere debate with him, shout in protest against or for him, but just engage our lazy brains. He is a most welcome wake-up call, and I for one hope and pray that he has a platform to be the grand provocateur that we do desperately need in these times. Irene Taylor, Toronto