Jordan Peterson is a distinguished Canadian clinical psychologist and a cultural critic. He is also a respected professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. Peterson's main areas of study revolve around the psychology of religious and ideological belief as well as the assessment and improvement of personality and performance.
Early Career and Research
From 1993 to 1997, Peterson resided in Arlington, Massachusetts, where he conducted research and taught as an assistant and an associate professor in the psychology department at Harvard University. His studies during this period focused on aggression arising from drug and alcohol abuse. He also supervised several unconventional thesis proposals.
Following his stint at Harvard, Peterson returned to Canada where he assumed a professorial role at University of Toronto.
Notable Works
In 1999, Routledge published Peterson's influential text, "Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief". The work, which took Peterson 13 years to complete, offers a comprehensive theory for how we construct meaning. The book merges ideas drawn from various narratives including mythology, religion, literature and philosophy, as well as research from neuropsychology.
Peterson also explored the origins of evil and suggested that an analysis of the world's religious ideas might enable us to discern and eventually establish a universal system of morality.
In 2004, a 13-part TV series based on his book aired on TVOntario. Peterson also frequently appeared on The Agenda with Steve Paikin since 2008 and has been a guest on numerous online shows such as The Joe Rogan Experience, Steven Crowder's Louder with Crowder, and Sam Harris's Waking Up podcast, among others.
In December 2016, Peterson launched his own podcast, The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast.
Self Authoring Suite
Together with his colleagues, Peterson developed a writing therapy program known as the Self Authoring Suite. This includes an array of online writing programs that focus on retrospective, contemporary, and future-oriented self reflection. The programs have shown to yield positive impact on student performances.
Recent Projects
May 2017 saw the inception of Peterson's project, "The psychological significance of the Biblical stories", a series of live theatre lectures where he analyzes archetypal narratives in Genesis as patterns of behavior crucial for individual, social and cultural stability.
Peterson's latest book, "12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos" was released in January 2018. He is currently on a promotional tour across North America, Europe and Australia.
