In the summer of 2024, as the world gathered to
celebrate the Olympics in France, the opening ceremony became a crucial point
for discussions about the influence of woke culture on global events. One of
the most talked-about moments was a reinterpretation of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper where instead of religious figures, the table was
occupied by individuals representing marginalized groups—fat people, homosexual
individuals, and others often discriminated by mainstream society. This scene
symbolized the central tenets of woke culture: the celebration of diversity and
rejected people by society and the challenge to traditional norms. The
prominence of this imagery in such a significant global event underscored the
ongoing debate about the role of secular ideologies in shaping contemporary
ethics and social norms. This discussion is not merely a passing trend but
reflects deeper shifts in society where traditional religious authority over
morality and social behavior is increasingly replaced by secular ideologies
like woke culture.
In modern societies, religion has undergone a
significant transformation, especially within the framework of functional
differentiation, as explained by sociologist Niklas Luhmann. According to
Luhmann, in a functionally differentiated society, religion is limited to a
specific role that primarily addresses spiritual needs, existential questions,
and personal morality. This means that religion, once central to ethical
guidance and social cohesion, is no longer the dominant force shaping societal
norms. Instead, other subsystems such as politics, law, and education take over
these functions, each operating according to its own principles. This
transformation has led to what many scholars, including Peter Beyer, describe
as a form of secularization where traditional religious practices and beliefs
persist, but their influence on public life and ethics has significantly
decreased.
As religion’s role in defining and enforcing
ethical standards diminishes, a vacuum is created that is often filled by other
ideologies. Woke culture, in particular, has emerged as a powerful secular
ideology that provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and
addressing social issues. Rooted in the principles of social justice,
inclusivity, and the dismantling of systemic inequalities, woke culture has
quickly become a dominant force in shaping public discourse and policy. It
offers a set of moral imperatives that are increasingly being adopted by
institutions, governments, and even global events like the Olympics. The 2024 Olympics
in France are a case in point, where the opening ceremony prominently featured
woke culture themes, signaling its growing influence on global cultural and
ethical norms.
One of the defining characteristics of woke culture
is its emphasis on celebrating differences rather than enforcing similarities.
Unlike traditional religions, which often promote uniformity in beliefs and
behaviors among their followers, woke culture actively seeks to highlight and
legitimize differences. This focus on diversity is seen not only as a moral
imperative but as a foundational element of its ethical framework. In
traditional religious contexts, doctrines are typically clear, rigid, and aimed
at creating a community of believers who share similar values, behaviors, and worldviews.
The goal is often to mold individuals into a collective identity, united by
common beliefs and practices. In contrast, woke culture challenges this
paradigm by asserting that differences—whether in race, gender, sexuality, or
cultural background—are not only valid but should be celebrated and protected.
This emphasis on differences as sacred can be seen
as a direct challenge to the homogeneity often promoted by traditional
religious doctrines. In woke culture, what is considered sacred is the diversity
of human experiences and identities. This cultural shift reflects a broader
trend in modern secular societies where inclusivity and the protection of
marginalized identities are increasingly seen as central moral values. These
values are propagated not through religious institutions, but through social
movements, educational curricula, and public policies that prioritize diversity
and inclusion.
Peter Beyer’s analysis of religion in a globalized
world also highlights another important aspect: the individualization of
religion. Beyer argues that globalization and modernization have led to the
transformation of religious practices, making them more individualized. In
contemporary society, religious belief is often a personal matter, with
individuals interpreting and practicing their faith in diverse ways. This has
resulted in multiple interpretations and forms of Christianity, Islam, Judaism,
and other religions. Similarly, woke culture can be seen as promoting this
individualization of belief. It does not necessarily reject traditional
religions but supports a framework where all forms of belief, including
secularism, atheism, and personal spiritualities, are seen as valid. Woke
culture legitimizes the idea that individuals can have their own unique religious
or ethical beliefs, reflecting a society where diversity of thought is highly
valued.
The rise of woke culture can also be understood
through the lens of transnational religions, a concept discussed by Beyer. In
the age of globalization, the media plays a crucial role in creating and
spreading transnational religions—religious movements that transcend national
boundaries and adapt to various cultural contexts. Similarly, woke culture,
although secular, functions as a transnational ideology. The Olympics, serving
as a global media event, became a platform for disseminating woke culture’s
values on a global scale, making it a kind of "secular religion" that
reaches across borders and influences diverse societies. This global reach
underscores the power of media in shaping and spreading ideologies, much like
how religious movements have historically used media to spread their messages.
In this context, woke culture can be seen as one of
the many secular ideologies that have replaced religion’s role in providing
ethical and moral guidance. Scholars like Charles Taylor and José Casanova have
extensively discussed the notion of secularization and how it leads to the
pluralization of moral authorities. Taylor’s work on the secular age describes how modern individuals are increasingly navigating a marketplace of
beliefs, where traditional religious ethics compete with various secular
ideologies. Woke culture, with its emphasis on social justice and activism,
resonates strongly in this secular age, particularly among younger generations
who seek to align their ethical beliefs with broader social movements.
Furthermore, the enforcement of woke culture’s
moral standards in public life mirrors the way religious orthodoxy once
functioned. Just as religious communities have historically used social
pressure to enforce conformity to moral norms, woke culture employs mechanisms
like social media campaigns, cancel culture, and institutional policies to
maintain its ethical standards. This phenomenon is reflective of what Emile
Durkheim referred to as the “sacred” in society—the set of norms and values
that are held as inviolable. In contemporary secular societies, the sacred has
shifted from religious doctrines to secular ideologies, with woke culture being
one of the most prominent.
It is also worth noting the criticisms of woke
culture, particularly its perceived intolerance of dissent and its sometimes
dogmatic enforcement of moral norms. Critics argue that woke culture, much like
religious fundamentalism, can become exclusionary and divisive, stifling open
debate and leading to social polarization. This criticism is echoed in the
works of scholars like Jonathan Haidt, who in his book The Righteous Mind
explores how moral ideologies can lead to the formation of insular communities
that are resistant to external perspectives. Haidt’s analysis of moral
psychology provides insights into how woke culture, despite its secular nature,
functions in ways that are strikingly similar to religious communities in terms
of enforcing moral conformity and group identity.
In conclusion, the rise of woke culture as a
dominant secular ideology reflects the broader shifts in society where
traditional religious authority over ethics and social norms is increasingly
supplanted by secular movements. The 2024 Olympics in France, with its
woke-themed reinterpretation of The Last Supper exemplifies how such ideologies
are shaping global events and public consciousness. The Last Supper scene was
for signifying the emergence of work culture as a new religion. As religion
becomes just one of many functional subsystems in a differentiated society,
ideologies like woke culture step in to fill the ethical void, offering new
frameworks for understanding and navigating social issues. However, this
replacement of religious authority with secular ideologies raises important
questions about the nature of moral authority in a secular age and the
potential for new forms of orthodoxy to emerge in the public sphere.
