Summarised by Centrist
Universities cannot be saved. That’s the conclusion of Peter Boghossian, who resigned from his job at Portland State University due to the stifling of critical thinking. Universities, once a bastion of free inquiry, have been transformed into social justice factories, he says. The only inputs are race, gender, and victimhood. The only output is grievances and division. According to Boghossian, American culture has become the problem, exporting equity as opposed to equality to the rest of the world.
Boghossian denounces the academic system’s rot, where certain views dominate, leading to tenure and a cycle of indoctrination. The institutions prioritise diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) over scholarship and academic excellence, hampering free debate. He predicts a backlash against this “woke virus” and growing mistrust in American institutions, warns against blindly trusting equity hires and advises against sending kids to Ivy League schools.
Boghossian promotes a method of engaging with ideologues by understanding their beliefs and reasoning, aiming to foster authentic conversations. Ultimately, he argues that universities are exacerbating disparities and undermining democracy by stifling open discourse.
