Twentieth Century Woke—Left and Right | James Lindsay

What does “Woke” mean? James Lindsay, founder of New Discourses, says it is an awakening to a “sociognostic” belief structure. What is that, and how does it manifest in different contexts? In this third talk from the Saving American Liberty learning seminar in Dallas, Texas, hosted by New Discourses on August 22-23, 2025, Lindsay explains the concept in considerable detail. He also applies it to the “20th century” (or, Modernist) mode of thinking to reveal that two forms of Woke sociognosticism appear in that context: Communism on the Woke Left and Fascism as a form of Reaction on the Woke Right. Further, he provides contemporary examples of how this strain of thought is making an unwanted comeback, both Left and Right, throughout the West today. Join him for this important lecture explaining the model and modes of “Woke” thinking in a historical context we already understand.