Intellectual Dark Web

The Intellectual Dark Web (IDW) is a neologism coined by economist Eric Weinstein to refer to an informal group of (mostly right-wing, libertarian, and centrist) pundits, media producers, academics, and so on, with the common thread linking all of them being a deeply reactionary and hostile attitude towards towards various social justice activist movements (such as Black Lives Matter) and liberal views.Meet the Renegades of the Intellectual Dark Web: An alliance of heretics is making an end run around the mainstream conversation. Should we be listening? by Bari Weiss (May 8, 2018) The New York Times. The term itself functions as a general meme. There is no actual organization, or movement which it represents. In other words, anyone can say they are a member, and no one has the authority to deny it.
==Individuals associated with the term==
*Eric Weinstein, American economist, mathematician, conspiracy theorist, and managing director of Peter Thiel's Thiel Capital.Why capitalism won’t survive without socialism Vox. July 25th, 2017.
*Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Somali-born American anti-Islam activist.
*Sam Harris, American neuroscientist and one of the "Four Horsemen" of New Atheism.
*Claire Lehmann, Australian alt-right editor-in-chief and founder of Quillette.
*Maajid Nawaz, British activist who advocates for a "moderate, secular Islam" and Trumpian conspiracy theories. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jan/31/lbcs-maajid-nawazs-fascination-with-conspiracies-raises-alarm
*Steven Pinker, American linguist, psychologist, and court witness for Jeffrey Epstein. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/07/17/steven-pinkers-aid-jeffrey-epsteins-legal-defense-renews-criticism-increasingly
*Jordan Peterson, Canadian clinical psychologist and social conservative activist
*Joe Rogan, American Ultimate Fighting Championship commentator and host of The Joe Rogan Experience
*Dave Rubin, American libertarian/self-proclaimed "classical liberal" host of The Rubin Report
*Ben Shapiro, American conservative pundit, conspiracy theorist, former-Breitbart writer and co-founder of The Daily Wire
*Douglas Murray, British ultra-nationalist and conspiracy theorist.
*Michael Shermer, American science writer, editor-in-chief of the magazine Skeptic, and bicyclist
*Christina Hoff Sommers, American writer for American Enterprise Institute
*Bret Weinstein, (Eric's brother), American biologist and conspiracy theorist
* (Bret's wife), American biologist, transphobe and conspiracy theorist
Newer non-core additions to the network include:https://intellectualdarkweb.site/vanguards-of-the-intellectual-dark-web/
* American conservative Quillette columnist affiliated with the Manhattan Institute and critic of CRT.
* American conservative economist affiliated with the Manhattan Institute, critic of CRT, and hosts "the Glenn Show" with John McWhorter.
* American conservative linguist affiliated with the Manhattan Institute, and critic of CRT.
*James Damore, American Google employee turned reactionary clickbait publisher and outrage activist.
*Niall Ferguson, (Ayaan's husband), Scottish pseudohistorian and neoconservative.
* Canadian neuroscientist, columnist for Quillette
*, former NYT columnist and founder of The Free Press newsletter
==Patreon==
After Sargon of Akkad was banned from Patreon, Rubin, Peterson and Harris left Patreon in protest.Patreon Bars Anti-Feminist for Racist Speech, Inciting Revolt The New York Times. December 24th, 2018. Since then, Rubin and Peterson have suggested creating a Patreon equivalent.Top Patreon creators, of the 'Intellectual Dark Web,' say they're launching an alternate crowdfunding platform not 'susceptible to arbitrary censorship' Business Insider. December 17th, 2018.
==A gateway to alt-right radicalization==
In 2019 a study from the by Manoel Horta Ribeiro et al. found the Intellectual Dark Web's YouTube channels were a gateway from the "alt-lite" to alt-right radicalization.Auditing Radicalization Pathways on YouTube by Manoel Horta Ribeiro et al. (2019) arXiv 1908.08313v3. The study looked at 331,000 videos that an algorithm had classified as right-wing, and analyzed 72 million YouTube comments. A large number of those users who had posted comments on IDW channels later migrated to leaving comments on more radical YouTube channels. As Ribeiro puts it, "there is migration among users from the Alt-lite and the I.D.W. to the Alt-right," confirming that less extreme right-wing content did indeed serve as a gateway of sorts for radicalization.
==See also==
*Koch Industries, who provide funding for numerous members of the IDWThe “Intellectual Dark Web” is a Billionaire-Funded Echo Chamber Medium. August 13th, 2018.
*Dennis Prager, as many members have hosted PragerU videos, such as Shapiro,"What Is Intersectionality?" (Jun 18, 2018)Hollywood Wants Your Money...and Your Mind" (Dec 18, 2017)"Facts Don't Care About Your Feelings" (May 11, 2017) Rubin,"So, You Think You're Tolerant?" (Jul 9, 2018)"Why I Left the Left" (Feb 6, 2017) Peterson"Dangerous People Are Teaching Your Kids" (Jun 11, 2018)"Fix Yourself" (Jan 29, 2018) and Sommers"The Myth of the Gender Wage Gap" (Sep 22, 2014)"War on Boys" (May 19, 2014)"There Is No Gender Wage Gap" (Mar 16, 2017)
*Alt-lite, the less impressive name given to them by the alt-right
==External links==
*Pinkerite: Steven Pinker, the Intellectual Dark Web and Race Science
==References==
Category:Academia
 
Category:Kochsphere
Category:Neologisms
Category:Politics
Category:Thielsphere