Looking forward to the first day of classes? Ready to be
indoctrinated by the latest and most advanced communist theories
and ultra left-wing propaganda? This school is a factory, and by
the end of the year, you’ll certainly be brainwashed.
At least, that’s what a coalition of conservative pundits
would have you believe if you visit their Web sites or read their
books.
Prominent conservative David Horowitz warns that there is
“extensive corruption of the university curriculum by radical
ideologues.”
Recent UCLA alumnus Ben Shapiro says in his book,
“Brainwashed,” that universities excel at
indoctrinating America’s youth.
But reality is a little more complicated and much less
apocalyptic. Though there may be a disproportionate number of
left-leaning professors at UCLA, students should not feel they are
the victims of a vast conspiracy.
Contrary to nostalgic dreams, universities have never been
utopias where all sides received equal welcome. Throughout history,
various viewpoints have shifted in and out of vogue in
academia.
Whether you were a woman denied a voice at Harvard in the 19th
century, a professor forced to sign an anti-communism oath in the
’50s or a student prevented from demonstrating on campus in
the ’60s, there have always been unpopular perspectives on
college campuses.
Nevertheless, many of today’s most vocal conservatives say
academic freedom is more endangered now than ever. They point at
the large number of liberal professors as supposed proof of an
anti-conservative agenda.
But academic freedom was never destined to insulate individuals
from contrasting ideologies. It is a principle ensuring that
professors are not required to teach a politically motivated
curriculum and that students are not penalized if their views
contradict their professors’.
Students should stop feeling hurt when their particular flavor
of thought isn’t that of the majority.
Ideas don’t have victims.
Education should be an interpretive journey ““ believing
any one professor or book has all the answers, right or wrong, is
simply naive. Every source contributes only a filtered portion of a
greater whole that requires contextualizing.
If you don’t agree with the information being fed to you,
stand up and argue instead of whining about bias. Disagreement can
cement your own views in your head, open your mind, or even shift
your beliefs.
The most unproductive response to adversity is silence. If your
ideas depart from prevailing thought and aren’t vocalized,
how does that serve the advancement of knowledge?
Additionally, there is infinitely more to politics than
simplistic conservative or liberal labels. The whole notion of the
political spectrum, a linear progression from left to right, is
just as flawed. These terms are no more than quick reference
points.
A professor might be pro-environment and pro-business; a
student, pro-life and pro-same-sex marriage. Unconsciously
subscribing to a package of party lines is nearly as irresponsible
as political nihilism.
As we start a new year, particularly one this politically tense,
we should agree that political difference is not a hindrance to
education ““ it is a catalyst to receiving a truly great
one.