I still kinda like Peterson, but he burned through his 3 interesting talking points way back in 2017. He’s been walking down a dead end road ever since. Everyone hopes that “maybe he will be precise with his words this time.”
Let’s look at Peterson’s bio:
Born and raised in Alberta, Peterson obtained bachelor's degrees in political science and psychology from the University of Alberta and a PhD in clinical psychology from McGill University. In 1999, he published his first book, Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief, which became the basis for many of his subsequent lectures. The book combines psychology, mythology, religion, literature, philosophy and neuroscience to analyze systems of belief and meaning.
Notice no training in philosophy, and yet what most of his readers took away was a notion of philosophical understanding.
“He has helped so many, he is so learned, he must have philosophical understanding!”
Really? Then why he is unable or unwilling to give a clear definition of “what is truth”? He revealed his doomed path back on Jan 27, 2018 in talking with Sam Harris, and for 2 hours he couldn’t:
At least list the agreed upon possible definitions of “truth”.
Clearly state his own.
Do what any flexible thinker can do and determine a new agreed upon word for the definition that Sam was using and be willing to talk about that.
He insisted on his pet definition and couldn’t move at all. The closest we got was:
“True is that which is useful”
His example was “an arrow that hits the mark, flies ‘true’.”
That gave away his entire position. Sidestep all talk about the objective truth (that which corresponds with reality) of deeper things; just use similar words for their therapeutic value.
Skip basis philosophy.
Find that as a society "we lost meaning"
Fishing rod terms from behind you out of context.
Deep words provide better brain chemicals than modern words.
Future brain chemical reward is hitting the mark.
Hitting the mark is truth.
What is Peterson’s real aim for the greater good?
Balance pleasurable brain states among the population, sustainably, and bound by evolved instincts. Thereby escaping suffering as much as possible.
Normally this means getting better brain chemicals by going along with nature and others when possible.
Myths have no objective truth; they are just a form of social technology for getting subjective positive brain states that avoid suffering.
Religions are just cheat codes.
Jordan Peterson was always Team Brain Chemicals.
“That’s too reductive!”
To be reductive, something more would have to be missing. I think the correct term is “counter-productive”.
“It is counter-productive to talk about brain states when using deep words to modify brain states.”
Peterson loves deep words and uses them whenever he can.
Belief
Meaning
Purpose
Soul
God
Truth
His readers love these words and love his smoke screens about them. What does he actually mean by them?
Belief, Meaning, Purpose = Subjective positive brain states that avoid suffering.
Soul, God = Things that don’t exist as immaterial objects but are helpful mental concepts to build towards subjective positive brain states that avoid suffering.
He will always avoid being clear on them, because when they are clear they are less helpful.
>Isn't using unclear terms on purpose, kinda like lying?
”Lying is saying things that make you weak (opposite of helpful). Being unclear means you never have to get pinned down with contradictions which would be weak.”
What does this look like?
>Mr. Peterson, do you think God exists?
“I don't know what you mean by God.”
>Give properties of metaphysically necessary maximally great being.
”I don't know what you mean by Exist.”
>Define as existing even in the absence of all brains.
”I'll have to look a lot more into that” (proceeds to never look even a little bit into it).
How off base are his followers’ definitions of these words to his own? Let’s look at this article on What Happened to Jordan Peterson?
The author uses truth 10 times. And like every post on the Peterson subreddit, you would be hard pressed to ever see it defined.
“it seems like the right time to take his advice and speak the truth as best as I can.”
Does he mean to report something objective about reality or that he has a more helpful message?
“I saw how influential his work became online, almost overnight shifting the argument from a default 'new atheist' rejection of anything to do with religion or spirituality to a new appreciation for the evolved truths of religion.”
“Evolved truths” lovely. This may be in line with idea of religion as going along with nature to reach better brain states.
“I still believe his premise of living out the deeper narrative of our culture in one's actions, and orienting to the highest truth in our lives is fundamentally correct. Also the need to develop a strong inner core of truth and honesty, while taking responsibility, is necessary. “
What is the highest truth? Here we see it is narrative. Old ideas are just paths of wisdom to brain states. What is an “inner core of truth?” Trust in testimonies that continuing on this path will eventually lead to positive brain states for the most people.
“the way he acted out the subject matter of embodying the *logos*, the spoken truth.”
A shared path with a society towards better brain states is more effective.
“one very important aspect of Peterson's teaching was to open the door for people to understand the inner 'felt sense' of truth in the body, and to begin the process of orienting towards it. He also talked about orienting to truth as a process of growth, or 'burning off dead wood'.”
“felt sense of truth in the body”, aka what produces positive brain states that avoid suffering and boredom. A sense of growth and learning is also helpful for positive brain states.
"He spoke for the reality of spiritual and religious experience, and the importance of the transpersonal unconscious. How the work of Jung in particular was of immense value in tying together the worlds of science, psychology and mythology."
Now the author is throwing up terms like spiritual and religious experience and transpersonal unconscious.
“Spiritual and religious experience” = “felt sense of truth in the body” = Positive brain states that avoid suffering and boredom.
“Transpersonal unconscious” = “Evolved truths” = Working with the evolved instincts that produce positive brain states that avoid suffering.
Well, I actually started out thinking the author would use “truth” in the sense of objective reality, but it turns out he really did learn from Peterson.
Jordan Peterson’s Message to the Churches
From Jordan Peterson’s message to the churches video:
The Christian Church is there to remind people - young men included, and perhaps even first and foremost - that they have a woman to find, a garden to walk in, a family to nurture, an ark to build, land to conquer, a ladder to heaven to build, and the utter catastrophe of life to face stalwartly in truth, devoted to love, and without fear.
So there is nothing objective about the Church, it is there to help young men’s brain states. And when their brain states are better, they contribute to others, helping their brain states.
Invite the young men back. Say, literally, to those young me, ‘You are welcome here. If no one else wants what you have to offer, we do. We want to call you to the highest purpose of your life. We want your time, energy, and effort, and your will, and your good will. We want to work with you to make things better., to produce life more abundant, for you, and for your wife and children, and for your community, and for your country - and the world. And we have problems in the Christian Church. We are moribund, and sometimes - far too often - corrupt, and sometimes deeply so. We are outdated, as are all institutions with their roots in the dead but still often wise past. So join us. We’ll help fix you up. And you can help fix us up. And together we’ll aim up.’
There is nothing objective about the Church, it is there to help young men’s brain states. And when their brain states are better, they contribute to others, helping their brain states. Help us modify the Church to be even better at helping brain states.
And here’s a message to those young men, skeptical about such things. What else do you have? You can abandon the churches in your cynicism and disbelief. You can say to yourself, narcissistically and solpisistically, ‘The church does not express what I believe properly.’ Who cares what you believe? Why is this about you? Do you even want it to be about you? What it if was about others? What if it was about your duty to the past, and to the broader community that surrounds you in the present? What if it was incumbent upon you, and vital to your health and willingness even to live to rescue your dead father from the belly of the beast, where he has always resided? And to restore him to life.
There is nothing objective about the Church, it is there to help young men’s brain states. And when their brain states are better, they contribute to others, helping their brain states.
If you thought it was about objective reality, that is you just acting “narcissistically and solpisistically.”
You’re churches, for God’s sake. Quit fighting for social justice. Quit saving the bloody planet. Attend to some souls. That’s what you are supposed to do. That’s your holy duty. Do it. Now. Before it’s too late. And the hour is nigh.
“I don’t think souls actually exist but I will use the term for its impact. I will shame you using ‘holy duty’ even thou I don’t believe objective moral duties exist. Because brain states are so damn threatened that you need to help!”
There’s only one valid reason to become a Christian: because it’s true
What is Peterson’s contrast? Every actually Christian thinker and apologist.
At the end of the day there’s only one valid reason to become a Christian: because it’s true. At the level of basic metaphysical truth, Peterson is wrong and the church is right. That’s a great starting point for us to work from. But we need to be willing to discover where we have gone wrong - in terms of facts, wisdom for living, and engagement with men - and get in the game to outcompete the likes of Peterson in the marketplace for the hearts and minds of young men.