The Kids Are Alright
Persuasion | Jacob L. Mackey, Matt Major
A professor and a student explain how an Occidental College club “where students could discuss ideas openly and honestly, in a spirit of charity and good faith” has been a success, modeling how viewpoint diversity and respect for the free exchange of ideas can be fostered. The club has generated key learnings about how a climate of openness to the free exchange of ideas is vital for students, and is the responsibility of colleges and universities to cultivate.
The club, a student chapter of Persuasion, “follows Frederick Douglass’s dictum: ‘Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one’s thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist.’”
Topics have included race, cultural appropriation, immigration, the term “POC” and a racial incident on campus. “Discussion starts from the generally accepted perspective(s) on the issue and evolves into a more nuanced and critical analysis of received truths. There are always at least a few people in the group who push back against prevailing opinion and steer the conversation into places few of us have gone before…”
“The productivity of our conversation was thanks to…giving each individual complete liberty to speak, rather than attempting to extract an essentialized account from him or her. No one was expected to speak on behalf of their “group,” however defined.”
What are the lessons?
“Those of us in higher education…should strive to create a college culture in which [students]…are empowered to express themselves…We as individuals and institutions [also] must strive to be seen…as intellectually legitimate…providing fair and unbiased forums for the generation, exchange, and assessment of a wide variety of ideas that are representative of the many viewpoints to be found in our diverse democracy…”
What’s more, “If students felt ‘seen,’ honored, and respected for…their deepest beliefs and values…then some of the heat might go out of ‘cancel culture,’ intolerance for speech, safetyism, and overwrought identitarianism.”