Indeed. From a letter by renowned Harvard professor, psychology theorist and philosopher Steven Pinker to Harvard Universitys President and Provost: Equally foreign to the mission of a university is the idea that students are to be protected from discomfort or so-called microaggression when they are exposed to beliefs that differ from theirs, or when the university does not accede to demands that it prosecute their moral and political crusades. Discomfort is another word for tolerance. It is the price we pay for living in a democracy and participating in the open exchange of ideas. Middle East politics above all is a subject on which thoughtful people disagree; it is certainly not one on which a university should decree the correct position. While I am sympathetic with many of the students’ objections to the current policies of the Israeli government, I object even more strongly to the policies of the governments of countries such as Russia, India, Pakistan, China, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. In a world filled with governments with deplorable policies, it is pernicious for a university to single out one of them for opprobrium. thetower.org/renowned-harvard-psychologist-blasts-campus-capitulation-on-bds/
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 18:03:03 +0000