I mentioned in this post that I briefly considered Jordan Peterson’s controversies in the context of the rules outlined in his book. I ended up finding two rules that I thought might apply to the situation.
First, rule #8 – tell the truth (or, at least, don’t lie). I don’t think Peterson lied to anyone but as a writer I know that unclear pronouns are one of the fastest ways to submarine a piece. I expect Peterson to understand the same. If he deliberately calls someone by a pronoun despite knowing the subject rejects its use, he’s failing to use the part of speech in the most truthful possible way. Wouldn’t he object if I referred to him as she? My recommendation to him is that if he disagrees with a pronoun, become pro-noun, and call he, she, it, or anything else by the name.
I also thought a little bit about rule #7 – pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient). For most people, identity is a foundation for meaning and errors in reference to another’s identity are direct attacks on personal experience. I see denying others their identity as an aggressive and in some cases even violent act. It is one way to deny them an important building block for a meaningful life. The way Peterson evokes the state-backed freedom of speech as part of his justification for retaining the privilege of insulting someone with pronouns feels to me like a classic case of expedience trumping meaning.
The meaningful approach here would be to work together to adapt and expand the common understanding of pronouns so that a government would never even consider stepping in with mandates about which words are permissible for its citizens. As a so-called educator, he should be up to the task. Totalitarian regimes require one ingredient that rarely gets public acknowledgment – a citizenry that accepts the need for some form of government. Instead of worrying about the text of specific laws and citing the totalitarian undertones, perhaps the better approach would be to work out ways to change society such that there remains no requirement for these laws.
