“I worry very much that if our leading academic institutions become places that prize comfort over truth—that prize the pursuit of mutual understanding over the pursuit of better and more accurate understanding—then a great deal will be lost.” Larry Summers [Weekly Standard interview]
WATCH INTERVIEW WITH FORMER HARVARD PRESIDENT LARRY SUMMERS ON THE STATE OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION HERE.
Author Adrienne Morris 
4 responses to ““I think the answer to bad speech is different speech. The answer to bad speech is not shutting down speech.” Larry Summers”
Even worse is groups of students shutting out the voices of others and fomenting one-sided political clout to promote a narrow viewpoint, making it seem that power is right when power is just a bunch of college kids who don’t yet know anything. And professors who support them.
LikeLike
Yes, even back in the late 80’s I was seeing this happen all the time. Students were competing for the title of most victimized and shouting down anyone who questioned their take on life as the professors looked on smugly (as if it were their job to foment strife instead of teach students how to not only tolerate other opinions, but actually learn from them!)
LikeLike
This is a newish development in an ongoing saga, starting in the 70’s or 80’s with universities not allowing controversial speakers a podium on their campuses. The dumbest recent thing is the suggestion (if not yet policy) to remove the subject of Rape Law from law school curricula, in case somebody was upset. Oh dear, what are we coming to!
LikeLike
LOL. That one is very silly indeed. Another favorite of mine is hearing that Great Britain is debating whether to bar Donald Trump from entering their country as punishment for his remarks about not letting refugees enter the US. How do they not see the hypocrisy! It makes me laugh.
LikeLike