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The New Puritans

How the Religion of Social Justice Captured the Western World
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( 1,069 ratings, 124 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The New Puritans by Andrew Doyle critically examines the rise of a modern cultural movement driven by identity politics and so-called 'social justice'. Drawing parallels with seventeenth-century puritanism, Doyle argues that this new ideology functions like a religion, complete with strict moral codes, unique language, rituals, and a harsh system of enforcing conformity known as 'cancel culture'. Through a thoughtful exploration of its origins and impact on political, cultural, and corporate institutions, Doyle makes a compelling case for the urgent need to restore liberal values in society.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in contemporary cultural debates, political philosophy, and social sciences, especially those seeking a critical examination of identity politics and free speech issues within modern liberal democracies.

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By analysing Social Justice in terms of a religious cult, The New Puritans seeks to render its complexities more accessible. Only by understanding the inherently regressive and illiberal nature of this movement might it be effectively resisted.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Engaging, incisive and acute, The New Puritans is a deeply necessary exploration of our current cultural climate and an urgent appeal to return to a truly liberal society.

The puritans of the seventeenth century sought to refashion society in accordance with their own beliefs, but they were deep thinkers who were aware of their own fallibility. Today, in the grasp of the new puritans, we see a very different story.

Leading a cultural revolution driven by identity politics and so-called 'social justice', the new puritanism movement is best understood as a religionβ€”one that makes grand claims to moral purity and tolerates no dissent. Its disciples even have their own language, rituals and a determination to root out sinners through what has become known as 'cancel culture'.

In The New Puritans, Andrew Doyle powerfully examines the underlying belief-systems of this ideology, and how it has risen so rapidly to dominate all major political, cultural and corporate institutions. He reasons that, to move forward, we need to understand where these new puritans came from and what they hope to achieve. Written in the spirit of optimism and understanding, Doyle offers an eloquent and powerful case for the reinstatement of liberal values and explains why it's important we act now.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Highly praised for its incisive critique, The New Puritans is described as a must-read for understanding the recent ideological shifts in the West. Peter Boghossian regards it as a timeless perspective and effective criticism of the β€˜Critical Social Justice’ movement. The Sunday Times calls it a sober and devastating critique of cancel culture, while the Herald notes Doyle's articulate writing and powerful illustrations of ideological excess. The Mail on Sunday highlights Doyle's passionate and lucid exploration of moral purity and cultural orthodoxy in contemporary society.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780349135311

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 08 September 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Constable

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 30.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 232.0mm

Weight: 500g

Pages: 384

About the Author

Andrew Doyle is a writer, broadcaster and satirist whose commentary on political and cultural issues is regularly published in the national press. He is the author of Free Speech and Why It Matters and has also written two satirical books as Titania McGrath - Woke: A Guide to Social Justice and My First Little Book of Intersectional Activism. He is the presenter of Free Speech Nation, a weekly television show on GB News, and was formerly a panellist on the BBC's Moral Maze. He has a doctorate in Renaissance Literature from the University of Oxford where he also worked as a stipendiary lecturer.

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