This very civil and fascinating debate between Professor Jordan Peterson and Channel 4’s Cathy Newman on whether feminism and the demand for “equal pay” (a misnomer) is making women happier, or more miserable.
It goes into a LOT of different issues, and it’s kinda long at 28 minutes it’s seriously worth watching:
This is exactly how a debate should be conducted – even though Newman disagreed vehemently, there was no screaming, and if there was a “gotcha,” it was a logical one, not merely a rhetorical one.
Peterson basically lays out a rigorous critique of many of the tropes and assumptions of feminists and leftists on gender equality, and later in the debate, transgenderism. But he does it happily and with reason, instead of rancor.
Peterson points out why the statistics on the supposed gender wage gap are deceiving, but doesn’t deny that there is SOME sexism at play, only that it’s not nearly as much an issue as Newman is attempting to make it.
Also look for the very insightful moment when Newman accidentally proves Peterson’s point about less disagreeable women are less successful where more disagreeable men are more successful. It’s very funny.
It’s worth noting how Newman arms her attacks on his argument – she keeps trying to restate what he says to recast his opinion as far more extreme than it actually is. That makes it easier to argue against – it’s also a logical fallacy called the strawman fallacy. Peterson cheerfully and patiently keeps dismantling her misleading statements about what his real position is.
If we had more debates like these instead of the witless shoutfests that go viral all the time, I think we’d all be better off.
Thanks to Cory Fleck on Twitter for pointing it out to me. Sorry about your Steelers!