Toxic Polarization and the Need for a New Worldview

Coaxing Traditional, Modern, and Postmodern values into an erotic synthesis

Among those who identify as left or center-left, I have noticed a striking lack of in-depth soul-searching about what has "happened"—and is still happening in leftist spaces. The loss of cultural power and a blindness to its own contribution to the 'culture war.' …until thinkers like

Annick de Witt

.

At Steve McIntosh's monthly Zoom group, which I co-host, Annick gave a great talk that offered an overview of the three major worldviews—traditional, modern, and postmodern—and how they swirl together into today’s polarizing cultural cocktail. In the first half, she maps out the charged terrain of each worldview and helps us understand how we have reached this seemingly unsolvable situation.

The second half is where things get a bit spicy—at least, as spicy as a measured academic can get. Annick isn’t afraid to dip into a bit of controversy to point out where the left seems to have lost its way, while offering some provocative solutions. I would love to see more of this type of nuanced conversation happening out there in the arena.

My own aim is to find ways to steelman the positive values of the traditional worldview—avoiding its obvious pathologies—while bringing forward the gifts of modernity and postmodernity into an erotic synthesis. Yes, you read that right. The way through our impasse is: eros—a kind of collective, transcendent tug on our hearts from the Holy Spirit.

The Wild is at our door—maybe even creeping up the stairs to our most protected spaces. Now might be a good time to do some Jungian shadow work to get ready for what's coming next.

Annick's full presentation, based on her in-depth article, can be viewed here on the Developmental Philosophy YouTube channel: