The Racialist ‘Craniometer’

Thoughts following a presentation on Critical Race Theory and Intersectional Theory at a Baptist conference.

Mark Coppenger July 21, 2019

At a recent gathering of Baptists, an adept assured us that Critical Race Theory and Intersectional Theory supplied us with “analytical tools” offering us “selective insights” for employment in our quest to “understand multifaceted social dynamics.” We just had to be careful to not receive these theories as “transcendent ideological frameworks” that could be “absolutized as … worldview[s],” displacing allegiance to the teachings of Scripture. Most of us were puzzled, even skeptical. But what did we know?..........

First, what exactly is the theory in CRT? We have germ theory in biology (with toxic microbes), molecular theory in chemistry (with electrons), and plate tectonic theory in geology (with continental drift). These supply narratives about how people might get TB, build a nuclear plant, or decide, as seismophobes, to leave California.

As scientific theories, they’re supposed to be testable and falsifiable. Alas, by these standards, social science theories are notoriously loose, more like tinted goggles one might choose to wear, with lenses designed to filter out certain rays..........In the case of CRT, the narrative says essentially that people of color are in a terrible fix, thanks to the historic and continuing activity of white folks............

Finally, let me suggest that Critical Race Theory is a highly uncritical theory, for the reasons given above, but also for what it presumes to promise. Implicit is the claim that it provides a path to well-being, when it actually generates more misery for all ethnicities involved.

It operates like a Ponzi scheme, with big payoffs for those who get in early in terms of acclaim, employment, publication, and platform opportunities. But those who get the impression that it is a reliable path to self- and social esteem and the satisfaction they bring, are in for a big, sad surprise. Or, to put it otherwise: “Get woke, and get took.”............To Read More...