Intellectual Dark Web

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The intellectual dark web (IDW) is a loosely defined informal group of commentators who oppose what they regard as the dominance of identity politics, political correctness, and cancel culture in higher education and the news media within Western countries. Those who have been linked to the IDW have come from both the right and left of the political spectrum.

The term "intellectual dark web" was coined by Eric Weinstein. His term, which metaphorically compared opposition to mainstream opinion to what is illicitly found on the dark web, was not intended to be wholly serious. It was then popularized in a 2018 New York Times editorial by American opinion writer Bari Weiss. Weiss and others applied the term to a broad range of figures from diverse intellectual and political backgrounds, including conservatives such as Douglas Murray, anti-extremist activists such as Maajid Nawaz, scientists such as Sam Harris, and feminists like Ayaan Hirsi Ali. It has also been linked to online publications such as the libertarian-leaning Quillette.

These thinkers and publications have expressed concern at what they regarded as increasingly authoritarian tendencies within progressive movements in Western countries, namely attempts to censor, fire, or intimidate those expressing views contrary to orthodox progressive views on identity politics, especially within universities and the news media. They often linked these to the growing influence of critical theory and the critical social justice movement—themselves influenced by Marxism and postmodernism—on mainstream progressive thought. These IDW figures regarded such tendencies as a threat to freedom of speech and believed that their growth promoted divisive social tribalism. While sharing common concerns, those labelled part of the IDW diverge on other issues, lacking any leadership or central organization. Given this diversity of thought, the validity of the term has been critiqued by some of those who have been labelled as its members.

Criticism of ideas associated with the IDW has come primarily from progressive and left-wing commentators. These critics have argued that the IDW overstates the harm caused by phenomena such as what the right-wing calls 'cancel culture', and progressive identity politics.

In a New York Times editorial, Bari Weiss listed individuals associated with the intellectual dark web which include:
Ayaan Hirsi Ali .
Sam Harris .
Heather Heying .
Claire Lehmann .
Douglas Murray .
Maajid Nawaz .
Jordan Peterson .
Steven Pinker .
Joe Rogan .
Dave Rubin .
Ben Shapiro .
Michael Shermer .
Debra W. Soh .
Christina Hoff Sommers .
Bret Weinstein .
Eric Weinstein .
Dale Wilson .