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In The Madness of Crowds, Douglas Murray argues that Western society is currently consumed by an ideology that’s obsessed with social justice and identity politics. (For clarity and consistency, we’ll call this ideology the New Ideology for the rest of the guide.)

According to Murray, the New Ideology insists that certain groups in society (notably women, racial minorities, and LGBTQ+ individuals) endure widespread prejudice and oppression that go back centuries. It further argues that these groups should receive sensitivity, accommodations, and apologetic behavior from the social majority—particularly white men—to compensate for their suffering.

Murray further contends that the New Ideology has become so mainstream that it’s virtually impossible to challenge it without suffering public ridicule and shaming. It functions like a religion—one that everyone in society is increasingly being compelled to follow. Murray argues that if we don’t combat the New Ideology, restore a constructive space for civic disagreement, and depoliticize our personal identities, our society will become even more fragmented and chaotic, and conceivably violent.

Murray is a journalist and political and social commentator who serves as assistant editor for The Spectator. He’s also the author of several bestsellers, including _[The Strange Death of...

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The Madness of Crowds Summary Defining The New Ideology: Wokeism, Intersectionality, and Identity Politics

Let’s first define the three main pillars of the New Ideology: wokeism, intersectionality, and identity politics. In this section, we’ll discuss all three pillars in detail, as well as offer a brief introduction to why Murray believes each one is flawed.

The First Pillar: Social Justice and “Wokeism”

The first pillar of the New Ideology is hyper-concern with social justice, as seen through the phenomenon of wokeism. To be “woke,” in its most basic sense, means to be keenly aware of instances of social injustice (for instance, racism or sexism) and to be on guard against them. However, Murray argues, modern wokeism has become more extreme and intolerant. It now sees any conceivable slight against members of minority groups as evidence of widespread oppression. It also encourages both a mob-like mentality and a sense of moral superiority in villainizing and shaming anyone who disagrees with wokeist ideas.

According to Murray, wokeism encourages people from the dominant social class (namely white people) to offer public displays of atonement for perceived injustices against minority groups. For example, a white person might apologize to a Black person for...

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The Madness of Crowds Summary The Causes of the New Ideology

Now that we’ve covered the basics of the New Ideology, let’s examine how it’s gained a foothold in mainstream society. We’ll start with major societal shifts that Murray believes influenced these ideological changes, including the declining influence of orthodox religion, the rise of secular ideas, and the diffusion of interests that gave rise to smaller identity groups. We’ll then look at the influence of academic ideas. Finally, we’ll briefly cover how certain economic and technological shifts contributed to the ideology’s growth.

The Demise of Traditional Religion and Liberalism

First, Murray argues the New Ideology partly developed due to the decline of several major belief systems that previously stabilized Western society: most notably, traditional religion and traditional liberalism. These two belief systems offered society stability because they gave life meaning through big-picture explanations of how the world works. Traditional religion argued that divine planning shaped events. Liberalism argued that human reason (our ability to seek and reveal truth through the use of intellect, logic, and observation), and our corresponding ability to improve the world,...

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The Madness of Crowds Summary Impacts of the New Ideology

Now that we’ve explored the key ideas of the New Ideology and how they achieved widespread recognition, let’s examine what Murray believes to be two of its most egregious effects: harming free speech, and creating contradictions that cause societal and psychological harm.

Impact #1: Harming Free Speech Through “Cancel Culture”

Murray argues that the New Ideology is harming free speech by trying to force consensus where it doesn’t exist and punishing those who don’t conform. Its adherents decide certain viewpoints on issues such as trans rights and racism are objectively correct, and they demonize alternative opinions. Anyone who dares to offer a contrary opinion risks being subject to “cancel culture”: public ridicule and the possible collapse of their reputation, career, and livelihood. Cancel culture harms free speech and prevents discussion around significant issues that deserve open debate.

(Shortform note: Other authors believe that our inability to consider opposing viewpoints doesn’t come from either the left's ideology or identity politics but from partisan politics as a whole. In Why We’re Polarized,...

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The Madness of Crowds Summary What if We Can’t Fix This?

Murray predicts serious consequences for our civilization if we’re not able to effectively stem the tide of the New Ideology. Let’s explore two of these effects: societal shame and the increased risk of violence.

Consequence #1: Societal Shame

The first result of not stemming the New Ideology will be the continued prevalence of feelings of guilt, sin, and shame in society. Murray argues that the ideology is always concerned with assigning blame and reliving traumas of the past, leading to these negative emotions. He contends that our society is even less capable of handling these collective emotions now that traditional religion is weaker. Traditional religion at least offered us a means of using redemption, forgiveness, and love to overcome negative emotions.

The Psychological Impact of Religion

Even if organized religion were more prominent in modern society, it might not be enough to counteract guilt and shame. Not all agree that religion is an antidote to guilt or shame, even if a given theology involves ideas of redemption and forgiveness.

In fact, some say religion can trigger shame. [Religious trauma can arise when a person has intense guilt...

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The Madness of Crowds Summary Remedies for a Healthier Society

Murray offers several strategies for reducing the influence of the New Ideology. Let’s examine two: finding meaning outside politics, and gaining perspective on issues of discrimination.

Strategy #1: Find Meaning Outside of Politics

The most urgent of these strategies is to diminish the role of politics and its ensuing competitiveness in our lives. By this, Murray doesn’t mean that you should stop being interested or active in politics. This is part of who we are as human beings, and democracy is all about individuals participating.

Rather, Murray argues that we need to stop using politics as a way to find meaning in life—in other words, we should stop making every element of life political and fighting so-called oppression and injustice. Specifically, we must eschew politics in its current form—rife with toxic competition and conflict, much of which stems from the influence of the New Ideology. We should seek meaning in healthier areas of life—for instance, in our personal relationships with family, friends, and spouses.

(Shortform note: Some research suggests that in certain countries, relatively few people currently find meaning in their relationships. A...

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Shortform Exercise: Reflect on The Madness of Crowds

Reflect on the ideas about wokeism, intersectionality, identity politics, and society presented in The Madness of Crowds.


Murray explains that woke “cancel culture” harms freedom of speech and leads to conservatives being ridiculed and deplatformed. Do you agree that cancel culture operates in this way? Why or why not?

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