We need civil discussion to protect us against dogmatism and groupthink

Mar 17, 2017 by

by Michael Cook, MercatorNet:

Violent protest, no-platforming and public shaming are increasingly used on university campuses and on social media to shut down debate. So it is refreshing to see that two Ivy League professors at the opposite ends of the political spectrum have issued a declaration in favour of free speech.

Robert P. George, a conservative professor of jurisprudence at Princeton, and Cornel West, a professor of African-American studies at Harvard, are disturbed at an incident which took place at Middlebury College in Vermont on March 2.

A controversial academic, Charles Murray, was invited to speak at an event organised by a conservative student group. A noisy crowd shouted him down (watch the video). Later in the evening a mob of masked protesters attacked him and a left-leaning academic friend from the College, Allison Stanger. She ended up with whiplash and a concussion.

George and West believe strongly that respectful free speech should be protected on university campuses. Their declaration is an eloquent plea for openness to opposing ideas. Scores of eminent people in public life from every background have signed the declaration, including Princeton ethicist Peter A. Singer, Harvard law professor Mary Ann Glendon, psychologist Jonathan Haidt, gay activist and journalist Jonathan Rauch, and Catholic historian George Weigel. (If you are interested in adding your name, send your name, title and affiliation to jmadison@Princeton.edu.)

Here is the text of the declaration, which is hosted by the  James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, whose director is Professor George:

Read here

 

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