Greg Lukianoff

A safe book with good arguments

The main arguments definitely provide some clarity and understanding of the PC/virtue signaling/SJW culture that is being embodied by the left especially on many college campuses. The authors do a good job of diving deep into specific instances to show motivations and another side of the story. Unfortunately, this is bogged down by their one sided political view of events in the US. They seem to be quite sympathetic to those actually promoting and causing violence and spend a lot of time explaining their actions, sometimes seeming to blame the victims but put no effort into doing the same for the other side. They conveniently leave specific facts out or unaddressed (Trump, Charlottesville) and include incorrect facts as supporting arguments (McCarthyism). However, this all aligns with the common narrative and does not seem to detract from the primary arguments of the book. That is what makes this book safe, in the sense that the authors use the word throughout. It goes right along with most of the current beliefs of the people they are discussing many of which are very divisive while suggesting that people stop being so divisive.… (meer)

The point is a fair one and well articulated: that in general universities as apex of societal knowledge should remain open to healthy discourse across many views.

The problem is that the solutions are naive and do not take into account what we might mean by “healthy discourse”.

While the examples drawn appear to be mainly academically sound poiints to the author, at least in some cases I would find the ideas hogwash that only exists because of fetishistic interest in controversy.

For example; as I see the IQ test, and discussion: not only is the test useless, its goal a sort of post-colonial vision, its analisys by Murray statistically flawed.. any university that admits discussion about garbage should not be surprised to get garbage thrown at it. I do not think you can reason around certain levela of idiocy, and so am not surprised idiots attract attract idiots.

Could it also be that the expectations and level of academics is not as high as Universities pursue funding relentlessly.

Nevertheless a good book to read, and very difficult to write, so I appreciate the author’s effort.

… (meer)