ADDENDUM FOR ADAM GABBATT’S REMARKS ON HARVARD AND DEBATE
,,,,,,,,,,Harvard taking a stand is one of the first signs of a fight back – even if it came after it was reported in March that the leaders of the university’s center for Middle Eastern studies were forced out, a move seen by critics as an attempt to appease Trump – and academics and others hope it could begin a resistance. It is likely to require a group effort to avoid the right wing’s goal for higher education in the US: universities that are in effect government-controlled, and where freedom of speech and thought is restricted.
“The right don’t want students to hear about the legacy to slavery. They don’t want them to hear about structural inequalities,” Shepherd said.
“They don’t want to hear why billionaires are bad. They don’t want to hear, from the sciences, about climate change. They want a nice, friendly experience where the most students ever get to debate is the differences in Aristotle and Plato.
“They don’t want the actual debates that we see unfolding on campuses today.”
- Adam Gabbatt. :The Trump-Harvard showdown is the latest front in a long conservative war against academia
Totally agree but would add that where and when students read and debate the differences between Plato and Aristotle, they often learn a great deal about slavery, structural inequalities, democracy vs.totalitarianism, the importance of questioning authority and following the argument wherever it leads you.
.Would also add the suggestion that colleges and universities create a UNITED FRONT OF HIGHER LEARNINGin and a fund that can be used to support teaching and research the government is refusing to support. The AAUP could and I believe would be able to help with this effort.