Dr. Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist and professor, has studied the moral problems arising from the uncertainty and chaos generated by totalitarian regimes and weapon technologies that developed in the twentieth century. In 12 Rules for Life, Peterson puts forward a practical set of guidelines, along with some nuance and context, that he hopes will be “an antidote to chaos.” We will look at Peterson’s 12 rules, the assumptions underlying them, and investigate whether he has provided sound principles for facing a life that is often chaotic.
Gil Greco graduated from Gutenberg in 2012 after writing his senior thesis on C. S. Lewis and Joseph Campbell. He taught high school literature in Missouri for four years and now serves as house manager for Gutenberg College’s Residence Program with his wife, Erin, with whom he parents their two sons.