Civil Rights and Wrongs

What is “wokeness”? Some think of it as a set of ideas, or even a way of expressing those ideas. Some think of it as a set of political goals. Some think of it as a set of institutional structures or social incentives. Some think of it as a psychological quirk that yearns for a new religion or source of comfort in a therapeutic and risk-averse age. Different ways of thinking about wokeness affect the stories we tell about where it came from. People concerned with philosophy might talk about the influence of the Frankfurt School or Michel Foucault. People concerned with psychology might talk about the effects of social media. People concerned with institutions might talk about the ease with which a small number of activists can destabilize a large organization. People concerned with incentives might talk about the use of identity categories to market products.