February 23, 2014

Harvard student paper: "Why put up with research that counters our goals?"


A student at Harvard University recently wrote a column for the campus newspaper titled “Let’s Give Up On Academic Freedom in Favor of Justice,”  in which the author asks,
If our university community opposes racism, sexism, and heterosexism, why should we put up with research that counters our goals simply in the name of “academic freedom”?...When an academic community observes research promoting or justifying oppression, it should ensure that this research does not continue...
Oh, indeed.  Why put up with research that might show that some of your cherished goals might have an unexpected negative effect?

Why should we even allow research to be done that might show that a liberal program will have a bad effect on the nation?  Why not just accept all liberal goals and programs as wonderful and have done with it?

The author--a "studies of women, gender and sexuality major"--called for replacing academic freedom with a concept she calls "academic justice.”  Deliberately left unsaid is just who would determine what constitutes "academic justice" but I think it's safe to assume that the author believes her side will make that decision.

Harvard University has been a bowl of liberal crazy since the end of WW2.  Unfortunately the academic community takes its cues from Hahvahd in the same way virtually all newspapers take their cues from the NY Times and the WaPo, so I suspect we're seeing the birth of a Movement here.

Crazy folks produce crazy outcomes.

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