The unmasking style in social theory

In this book talk, Dr Baehr examines the nature of unmasking in social theory, revolutionary movements, and popular culture. “Unmasking” is the practice of revealing the truth beneath by claiming to remove a disguise, and this can be aimed at groups or individuals. Dr. Baehr unpacks the intellectual origins of unmasking, how it has evolved, and its techniques, such as micro-aggressions, and how these contribute to social polarization and bitterness of public discourse.

Dr. Peter Baehr

Research Professor in Social Theory, Lingnan University, Hong Kong

Peter Baehr is Research Professor in Social Theory at Lingnan University, Hong Kong. Before coming to Hong Kong in 2000, he worked at universities in Canada and Britain. He teaches and writes mainly in the areas of social and political thought. Baehr’s books include The Unmasking Style in Social Theory (2019), Hannah Arendt, Totalitarianism, and the Social Sciences (2010), and Caesar and the Fading of the Roman World (1998).