Mission Statement for Exploring Political Correctness
I’ve been employed in Higher Education for over 30 years. Simply put, I love higher education and I hold sacred these institutions as a source of higher learning, increased knowledge, and greater wisdom. I’ve served many constituencies of the University community: as a faculty member, a Department Head, a Faculty Senator, a member of the Faculty Grievance Review Board, as Faculty Senate Chair, as an ex-officio Member of our Board of Regents, as Director of the Office of National Scholarships and International Education, as an Academic Integrity Officer, and as the Associate Dean and Dean (interim) of our Honors College.
In 2015 I received the Board of Regents “Above and Beyond” award which cited my “focus on the positive during times of great challenge.“ I created this website because now is one of those times of great challenge. For the past several decades I’ve witnessed a small, but growing sense of intolerance for civil discourse on college campuses. Much of this intolerance, in my opinion, stems from an increasing sense of dogmatic belief in the Political Correctness of certain points of view.
I offer this website as a resource for members of the university community who wish to understand Political Correctness and confront Dogma.
Dogmatic thinking is often characterized by the steadfast assumption that one’s own argument is correct (and that all contrarian arguments are wrong) without recourse to clear evidence or valid reasons to support your conclusion.
When “Wokeness” and Social Justice become Dogma:
The Social Science of Dogma: Political Correctness as Folk Religion:
Where can I find others who value Viewpoint Diversity and Civil Discourse?
HETERODOX ACADEMY is a group of over 5,000 educators, administrators, & graduate students who believe diverse viewpoints & open inquiry are critical to research & learning. https://heterodoxacademy.org
How is Social Science related to Social Justice? (a brief video)
A thoughtful presentation of several challenges facing College Campuses today
Two different points of view regarding the purpose of the University
Professor Jonathan Haidt is the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business and co-Founder of Heterodox Academy. In this lecture Haidt describes two distinct purposes of the University: truth-seeking and justice-seeking.
A thoughtful discussion of Multiculturalism and Diversity (Social Justice)
A thoughtful Social Science-informed discussion of Discrimination and Disparities
A thoughtful Social Science–informed discussion of Racism and Anti-Racism
A thoughtful Social Science–informed discussion of Diversity and Inequality (Social Justice)
The actual lecture begins at 20:00 minutes into the video.
A thoughtful Social Science–informed Essay on Race and Inequality (the Racial Wealth Gap)
A thoughtful discussion of the role of reasoning in moral progress
An example of the power of free and open dialogue with those with whom we disagree
Motivated Reasoning: Why is it so easy to create arguments in favor of conclusions we want to believe? (and how does this impede sound reasoning?)
Why is it so hard to reach consensus? Can Motivated Reasoning lead us to draw inappropriate conclusions from data?
For one answer, watch this 20 minute video by Dan Kahan on “Science Literacy, Numeracy and Climate Change Risk Perceptions”
Can strong emotions bias our perceptions of Social Justice?
Examples of Social Science research literature on emotions and justice.