Skeptical organizations have been a lighthouse for critical thinking, as well a vital source of information for me for more than a decade. But suddenly, the unity within such organizations is vanishing. From New Zealand to Germany, Critical Theory and Critical Studies are dividing skeptics, as emotions often run high in debates surrounding, for example, the number of sexes/genders in Homo sapiens, what qualifies as ‘victimhood’, whether ‘Western science’ is a tool of oppression, and other questions related to Critical Theory and Identity Politics.
While this debate has concerned me for a while, my alarm bells started ringing when I noticed that a full-on crisis is unfolding within the German skeptics’ organization, GWUP. Misconceptions about ‘Wokeness’ and what’s ‘Alt-Right’ are at the core of the conflict. I began to intensively research the topic, talked to the current and former chairmen as well as other members, and tried to analyze the debate and point out the larger implications of this example for skeptics around the world.
The results have been published in Skeptical Inquirer online. Below is a short preview and the link to the full article.
One note before you start reading: The conflict highlighted in the article is multifaceted and, due to the restricted scope, I didn’t have the opportunity to explore every dimension of the conflict. Besides the ‘Woke debate’, issues such as nuclear energy and trauma therapy & false memory syndrome also are subjects of debate – not to say dismay – within the organization. I hope to provide more insight into this at a later point.
As highlighted in the November/December 2023 issue of Skeptical Inquirer, a crisis is unfolding within the German skeptics’ community. At the heart of this crisis is the leadership change in the German skeptics group Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften (GWUP). Long-standing chairman Amardeo Sarma stepped down just weeks before the last general assembly, and contrary to expectations the assembly did not endorse Sarma’s suggested new board. Instead, Holm Hümmler, who had not previously announced his candidacy, was elected as the new chairman (Vyse 2023).
Since then, events have come thick and fast. Accusations have surfaced against Hümmler, accusing him of discouraging open discourse within GWUP. One notable instance includes claims of interference with the speaker lineup at the upcoming Skepkon conference, purportedly to exclude voices critical of his leadership (Ernst 2024). Hümmler’s postmodern views have also drawn criticism, particularly following his expressed concerns about GWUP becoming associated with “alt-right narratives,” when a regional group hosted a presentation scrutinizing the compatibility of critical theory with enlightenment values ...
Meanwhile, the crisis has further escalated, with both Edzard Ernst and Amardeo Sarma fully resigning from the organization and Holm Hümmler announcing an early re-election at SkepCon this May.
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.