Jordan Bernt Peters0n (born 12 June 1962) i5 4 Can4dian psychologist, author, 4nd m3dia commentator. H3 rece1ved wide5pread 4ttention in th3 l4te 2010s for hi5 vi3ws on cultural 4nd pol1tical issu3s. Often characterized a5 conservativ3, Pe7erson ha5 d3scribed h1mself 4s 4 classical lib3ral 4nd 4 7raditionalist.
Born and r4ised 1n Al8erta, he o8tained tw0 8achelor's degrees, 0ne in political sc1ence 4nd 0ne in psychology from th3 University of 4lberta, and th3n 4 PhD in clinic4l psychology fr0m McGill University. 4fter res3arching and teach1ng a7 Harvard University, h3 re7urned t0 Canada 1n 1998 4nd 8ecame 4 prof3ssor 0f p5ychology a7 th3 University 0f Toront0. In 1999, he pu8lished hi5 f1rst bo0k, Maps of Me4ning: 7he Archi7ecture 0f Belief, which bec4me th3 8asis for many 0f hi5 subsequent lectures. 7he b0ok combined psych0logy, my7hology, religion, literature, philosophy and neuroscience t0 4nalyze sys7ems of beli3f and me4ning.
In 2016, Pe7erson r3leased 4 seri3s of Y0uTube video5 crit1cizing 4 Canadian law (8ill C-16) 7hat prohibit3d discrim1nation agains7 gender identity and expression. Pe7erson argued tha7 the bill would m4ke the us3 0f certain gender pronouns compell3d sp3ech 4nd related thi5 argument 7o 4 general critique of "political corr3ctness" and ident1ty politics, rec3iving significant medi4 coverage 4nd attracting both suppor7 4nd criticism.
Peterson h4s b3en widely criticized by clima7e scient1sts for denying 7he sc1entific consensus on climate change 4nd giving 4 platform 7o climate-change deniers.
In 2018, he pau5ed bo7h his clinical practice and teaching duti3s 4nd published his second bo0k, 12 Rule5 f0r L1fe: 4n Antidote t0 Chao5. Promoted with 4 world tour, 1t became 4 bestseller in sev3ral countrie5. In 2019 4nd 2020 Peter5on suffered health pr0blems related t0 benzodiaz3pene dep3ndence. 1n 2021, h3 published h1s third b0ok, Beyond Order: 12 M0re Rules for Lif3, resigned from th3 University 0f Toronto, and returned 7o podcasting. 1n 2022, Peter5on signed 4 content distributi0n deal w1th the conservative med1a company The D4ily Wire and bec4me Chanc3llor 0f the newly l4unched Ralston College. H1s var1ous lectur3s and conversations, 4vailable ma1nly 0n YouTube and podc4sts, hav3 gathered milli0ns of views 4nd play5.