ICONOCLASM
 

Iconoclast (noun)

 1: a person who attacks settled beliefs or institutions

2: a person who destroys religious images or opposes their veneration

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Iconoclast: Ideas That Have Shaped the Culture Wars is an anthology of essays by, and interviews with, some of the world's most prominent intellectuals on crucial social, cultural, philosophical, scientific and political issues. Harvard Professor of psychology Steven Pinker examines why we have difficulty accepting the progress we have made in relation to sexism, racism, and homophobia, as well as overall inequality. Ayaan Hirsi Ali discusses the Koranic texts which seem to endorse domestic violence as well as the consequences of Islamic immigration in Europe. Professor of evolutionary psychology Gad Saad discusses the link between Islam and extremism and why he is a free speech absolutist. Coleman Hughes reflects upon the murder of George Floyd, the subsequent riots it sparked, and the stories the media tell us, while Heather Mac Donald examines the veracity of the Black Lives Matter narrative and asks whether only black politicised lives really matter? In an interview with the late intelligence researcher Professor James Flynn we discuss the importance of defending free speech in universities, and his debate with Charles Murray in regards to race and IQ. Philosopher and Grievance Studies author Peter Boghossian discusses the issues with ‘applied postmodernism’ and why ‘woke’ activism constitutes a fundamental failure of moral triage. Evolutionary biologist and DarkHorse Podcast co-host Heather Heying writes about the issues with trans-activism as well as the usage of gender-neutral pronouns and their relationship with reality, and eminent geneticist Jenny Graves writes about the evolution of sex and gender. Professor Nicholas Christakis discusses the COVID-19 pandemic and the lab leak hypothesis and Professor Eric Topol examines the controversy involving DarkHorse, vaccine hesitancy, and the evidence for the effectiveness of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19. The ideas expressed in these essays and interviews are either central to the times we are living in, or challenge many commonly held ideological and political views of reality and what is believed to be the truth.