Jordan Bernt Peterson is a Canadian psychologist, author, and media commentator who gained widespread attention in the late 2010s for his views on cultural and political issues. He is often described as conservative, but he considers himself a classic British liberal and a traditionalist. Peterson was born and raised in Alberta, and he obtained bachelor's degrees in political science and psychology from the University of Alberta, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from McGill University. He became a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto in 1998, where he published his first book, Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief, which became the basis for many of his subsequent lectures. In 2016, Peterson criticized the Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (Bill C-16), which added "gender identity and expression" as prohibited grounds for discrimination. Peterson claimed that the bill would make the use of certain gender pronouns "compelled speech," and related this argument to a general critique of political correctness and identity politics. He received significant media coverage, attracting both support and criticism. In 2018, he published his second book, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, which became a bestseller in several countries. In 2021, he published his third book, Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life, resigned from the University of Toronto, and returned to podcasting. In 2022, Peterson signed a content distribution deal with the conservative media company The Daily Wire and became Chancellor of Ralston College. His lectures and conversations, propagated mainly through YouTube and podcasts, have gathered millions of views.