Publisher's Synopsis
Deluded New World explores the cultural and ideological battlegrounds shaping contemporary discourse. Controversy dogs many aspects of our lives today, from denying women the security they expect in designated spaces to no longer considering God to be male. The first has serious implications; the second is of no consequence to most. Between these two extremes lie some of the polarising issues addressed in this book: bigotry and racism, political correctness, gender and sexuality, slavery and colonisation, and free speech. Each chapter draws on concrete, real-world examples to illuminate the complex intersections between history, culture, and modern identity politics.While the subjects discussed are not new, their framing as 'controversial' often reflects the moral, political, and intellectual sensibilities of the present age. Slavery, for example, can be traced back at least 10,000 years, though few considered it to be controversial until the Age of Enlightenment dawned in the seventeenth century; free speech has been constrained since the time of Socrates. This book argues that some topics, like bigotry and aspects of sexual difference, are partially innate, whereas others are culturally contingent and reflect the ideological climate of the twenty-first century. Deluded New World argues against the wholesale acceptance of dominant narratives and reflects on the direction of modern Western societies. Borrowing its title in part from Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, this book is not fiction, but a warning. Pasternak finds evidence that at least one instance of deluded ideology is already in decline. But most continue unabated. These he considers to be a threat to the liberties inherent in the Free World.
