Helen Pluckrose

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Helen Pluckrose
Helen Pluckrose.jpg
Pluckrose in 2018
NationalityBritish
Alma materUniversity of East London (B.A.)
Queen Mary University of London (M.A.)
OccupationAuthor, cultural writer
Known forCo-author in the grievance studies affair
Notable work
Cynical Theories (2020)

Helen Pluckrose is a British author and cultural writer known for critiques of social justice and promotion of liberal ethics, most notably in the grievance studies affair.[1][2][3][4][5]

Education[]

Pluckrose completed a degree in English literature at the University of East London and a master's degree in early modern studies at Queen Mary University of London,[6] with a particular focus on "the ways in which medieval women negotiated the Christian narrative".[7]

Career[]

Grievance studies affair[]

Alongside James A. Lindsay and Peter Boghossian, Pluckrose was involved in the 2017–18 grievance studies affair (also referred to as "Sokal Squared" in reference to the 1996 Sokal affair), a project which saw the group submitting a number of bogus academic papers to peer-reviewed journals in cultural, gender, queer and race studies, to see if they would get published. The authors stated their goal as highlighting poor scholarship and eroding criteria in some academic fields, particularly those influenced by postmodern philosophy and critical theory.[8] Despite criticism of the exposé as a "hoax" and "coordinated attack from the right", Pluckrose and her colleagues describe themselves as "left-leaning liberals".[9]

Areo Magazine[]

From 2018 to 2021, Pluckrose was editor-in-chief of Areo Magazine, an opinion and analysis digital magazine exploring "a variety of perspectives compatible with broadly liberal and humanist values".[10][11][12] Pluckrose stepped down as editor-in-chief in April, 2021.[13]

Cynical Theories[]

In 2020, Pluckrose released a non-fiction book, Cynical Theories, co-authored with James A. Lindsay and published by Pitchstone Publishing.

Counterweight[]

Pluckrose founded Counterweight, a "non-partisan, grassroots movement advocating for liberal concepts of social justice", to "help individuals resist the imposition of Critical Social Justice (CSJ) on their day to day lives".[14] Counterweight launched an online advice service in January 2021.[15]

References[]

  1. ^ Beauchamp, Zack (15 October 2018). "The controversy around hoax studies in critical theory, explained". Vox.
  2. ^ Murray, Douglas. "Cynical Theories by Helen Pluckrose & James Lindsay review – woke warriors are conquering academia". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  3. ^ "The destructive power of culture wars and how they put liberalism in retreat". Crikey. 2020-09-11. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  4. ^ Hannam, Paddy (24 July 2020). "Wokeness is being pushed on everyone". www.spiked-online.com. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  5. ^ Kelly, Paul (12 September 2020). "Tracing the dangerous rise and rise of woke warriors". The Australian. Retrieved 2020-10-01.(subscription required)
  6. ^ "Helen Pluckrose – Battle of Ideas 2017". Retrieved 2020-09-06.
  7. ^ Helen Pluckrose (18 March 2019). "The problem with grievance studies". The Australian.(subscription required)
  8. ^ Schuessler, Jennifer (4 October 2018). "Hoaxers Slip Breastaurants and Dog-Park Sex Into Journals". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  9. ^ Mounk, Yascha (5 October 2018). "What an Audacious Hoax Reveals About Academia". The Atlantic.
  10. ^ Kafka, Alexander C. (5 October 2018). "Scholar Who Pulled Off Publishing Hoax Defends It: 'Papers Are Either Sound or They Aren't' ". The Chronicle of Higher Education.
  11. ^ Neill, Rosemary (10 September 2020). "'You can't cancel me'". The Australian. Retrieved 2020-10-01.(subscription required)
  12. ^ Pluckrose, Helen (6 April 2021). "Editorial Announcement". Areo Magazine. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  13. ^ Pluckrose, Helen (April 6, 2021). "Editorial Announcement". Areo. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  14. ^ "Why Was Counterweight Formed". Counterweight. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  15. ^ Ellery, Ben. "'Anti-woke helpline Counterweight flooded with calls'". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2021-01-30.

External links[]

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