Book Review: The Parasitic Mind by Gad Saad

The gist of the book is that progressive ideas become like a mind virus that incapacitates them to think from other perspectives or evaluate other people’s ideas on their own merit. But it not only stays on the personal, private realm: it has affected many institutions and sectors of society where questioning the progressive bible is a sentence to “cancellation”.

The perspective of the author is very one sided, and it’s not on the progressive side. He is very clear on this from the start. Also, Gad Saad is not an unknown author or academic, so you probably already know what to expect. I’m sure that many people will find the style and constant self-reference unsufferable.

From the book:

• Postmodernism poses that all knowledge is relative. There are no objective truths. It elevates “my truth” above objective truth.

• Social constructivism proposes that the majority of human behaviors, desires, and preferences are formed not by human nature or biological heritage but by society. There would be no biologically determined sex differences, only culturally imposed “gender roles”.

• Radical feminism states that gender roles are due to forces of the patriarchy.

• Transgender activism says that biological sex and “gender” are non-binary fluid constructs.

Progressive equality is a special kind of equality. Diversity is understood as gender diversity, etc., but not as thought diversity, political diversity, or working with people that have different points of view than yours.

Inclusion for the progressive mind becomes inclusion of only like-minded people. Ideas that differ or question the standard progressive canon are to be dismissed or cancelled, using whatever arguments are necessary and without caring much if they are true. “It was best captured in the immortal words of George Orwell in his novel Animal Farm: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Scientifically speaking, postmodernism, social constructivism, radical feminism, and transgender activism are all based on demonstrable falsehoods. But when one’s ideological commitments are paramount, the rejection of scientific facts becomes the necessary collateral damage.

Saad’s view of non-negotiable elements of a free society:

The guaranteed right to debate any idea (freedom of speech and thought) coupled with a commitment to reason and science to test competing ideas (the scientific method) are what have made Western Civilization great.

I didn’t agree with every point on the book, but that’s the point: food for further thought and discussion.

Rating: 4/5