The Volokh Conspiracy
Mostly law professors | Sometimes contrarian | Often libertarian | Always independent
A Worthy Open Letter Defending Liberalism in the Academy from its Opponents on the Left
I tend to be a bit skeptical of the value of open letters, and I rarely sign them, partly for that reason, and partly because I rarely agree wholeheartedly with the entire letter.
That said, I signed the one below (as did co-Conspirator Randy Barnett, among other luminaries), and you can add your signature here if you are so inclined. (Note, this letter is a project of David Bernstein of the Jewish Institute for Liberal Values. This is not me, though we cause at least as much confusion as the two Ilyas. Making matters worse, we both published books last year, and our mutual editor at Post Hill press is … another David Bernstein.)
An Open Letter from Jewish Scholars about Today's Intellectual Environment
*THIS LETTER IS FOR JEWISH SCHOLARS AND FRIENDS IN THE ACADEMIC WORLD
Dear Friends,
We, the undersigned Jewish scholars and academics, are concerned about the current ideological environment in the US and elsewhere and the increasingly censorious culture in many institutions of higher learning. Although we are acutely aware of the illiberalism and threats to academic freedom emanating from the political right, and in no way downplay these dangers, in this letter we focus our attention on, and express our deep concern about, a dangerously intolerant ideology on the political left that has taken hold in academia.
We firmly believe that the purpose of education is to teach students how to think, not what to think. A liberal education, by definition, should present students with different approaches to important questions so they can appreciate the complexity of issues and at the same time attempt to formulate their own opinions. Too often, however, universities and campus communities have veered away from their core missions and have propagated—among both faculty and students—a set of moral and intellectual attitudes that restrict critical inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and intellectual openness. We regard such inquiry and openness as bedrocks of any liberal, democratic society. As taught in the Ethics of Our Fathers, "Who is wise? He who learns from every person, as it is said: 'From all who taught me have I gained understanding.'"
Moreover, the suppression of unpopular opinions impinges on society's ability to address problems. What happens in academia rarely stays in academia. Shutting down scholarly inquiry ultimately limits the range of popular discussion on social issues, including sensitive topics such as race and gender identity, and makes it difficult, if not impossible, for intellectual and political leaders to formulate sound policy, promote advances in science, and resolve social tensions. Good scholarship, which cannot thrive if it is blinkered by ideological demands, bureaucratic restrictions, and groupthink, can and must inform the public conversation.
The ascendency of an ideology that reduces people to "oppressed" and "oppressors" and categorizes individuals into monolithic group identities poses a particular threat to the Jewish people. In this stark, neo-Manichean worldview, Jews are frequently grouped with the privileged, and Israel is dogmatically singled out as an oppressor-state–a shallow dichotomy that foments new variants of antisemitism and reinforces old ones.
As scholars, we stand for the principles of free inquiry in our educational institutions. As Jewish scholars, we remind the Jewish community and others of the dangers of any ideology that diminishes the free exchange of ideas. Instead, we encourage leaders and educators to stand up for our deeply held liberal principles and our own tradition of "argument for the sake of heaven."
