Helen Pluckrose Books

In recent years, many organizations and institutions in the West have implemented extensive diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, mandating training on topics such as antiracism and cultural sensitivity. While the goals of these initiatives are often well-intentioned, issues arise when participants are pressured to affirm beliefs they do not hold, particularly those rooted in the ideology of Critical Social Justice. Questions or objections to prevailing teachings—such as the notion that all white people are inherently racist or that gender differences lack biological basis—are frequently dismissed with phrases like "Educate yourself" or "Do the work." In professional settings, compliance may influence raises, promotions, and job security, while in educational settings, grades and awards may hinge on agreement with these ideologies. Faced with the dilemma of silent compliance versus ethical opposition, individuals may feel trapped. This handbook offers practical guidance for navigating the challenges posed by such activist ideologies in various environments. It equips readers with strategies for addressing demands to affirm unsupported beliefs or undergo ideologically driven training, empowering those who wish to resist the hostile environments created by these initiatives, or who fear repercussions for their genuine convictions.

How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity―and Why This Harms Everybody

How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity―and Why This Harms Everybody

This is a book about ideas--specifically, about the evolution of a certain set of ideas, and how these ideas have come to dominate every important discussion about race, gender, and identity today. The truth, however, is that many of these ideas are recent inventions, are not grounded in scientific fact, and do not account for the sheer complexity of social reality and human experience. In fact, they often deny and even undermine the very principles on which liberal democratic societies are built -- the very ideas that have allowed for unprecedented human progress, lifted standards of living across the world, and given us the opportunity and right to consider and debate these ideas in the first place! Ultimately, therefore, this is a book about what it truly means to have a just and equal society, and how best to get there.