Tuesday, November 16, 2010

An Interesting Article on the Origins of Academic Fear

My reader Richard sent me a link to an article that finally answered my questions about why academics in this country are so terrified of political engagement and of fighting for their rights:
Universities stand as cowardly, mute and silent accomplices of the corporate state, taking corporate money and doing corporate bidding. And those with a conscience inside the walls of the university understand that tenure and promotion require them to remain silent.
Read the entire article here.

2 comments:

Pagan Topologist said...

In the non-mathematical folklore of the community of mathematicians, Chandler Davis is an icon. I am glad to hear that he is still alive and working. I wish there were some sort of way to counter the effects on American academia that he describes.

NancyP said...

State universities have to coax funding from legislators whose main goal is to cut taxes and avoid unpopular opinions. The private universities face fiscal pressure from trustees and donors who threaten to stop giving money if anti-capitalist or "scandalous" opinions are expressed. Women's studies, gender studies, and queer studies programs are favorite targets of anti-uni politicians.