That a critique as reasoned and as politely articulated as this can be called racist -- by academics, not by a slogan-yelling group in the streets -- is the sign of the nadir which the dogma intoxication has reached in the very places (science publications no less than institutions of learning at large) that are supposed to defend from it.
The situation is such that any mention of the sacred words that have become the catechism of Social Justice is enough to protect a theory from critique: when we talk of the Divine and the Devil, doubting the presence of the Devil where it has been indicated is a sin against the Divine. Religious thought is normatively antithetic to the scientific method.
Luckily I am seeing increasing pushback to this trend in Continental Europe, and even in Britain in some fields. Let us hope the US follow suit as well. It has to come from academia itself, before a backswing from the general public directs political interventions that will wreck utter havoc in academic freedom and the open pursuit of knowledge.
That a critique as reasoned and as politely articulated as this can be called racist -- by academics, not by a slogan-yelling group in the streets -- is the sign of the nadir which the dogma intoxication has reached in the very places (science publications no less than institutions of learning at large) that are supposed to defend from it.
The situation is such that any mention of the sacred words that have become the catechism of Social Justice is enough to protect a theory from critique: when we talk of the Divine and the Devil, doubting the presence of the Devil where it has been indicated is a sin against the Divine. Religious thought is normatively antithetic to the scientific method.
Luckily I am seeing increasing pushback to this trend in Continental Europe, and even in Britain in some fields. Let us hope the US follow suit as well. It has to come from academia itself, before a backswing from the general public directs political interventions that will wreck utter havoc in academic freedom and the open pursuit of knowledge.
Activism is a business, particularly with the legitimation of the "social entrepreneur" in the last few years. Caveat emptor.
The last sentence of the conclusion - it's an understatement!
Hyperlinks missing near the beginning
Thanks, Organiker. I saw the comment almost right after posting, and (think) I corrected it. Would you double check that its now working?
ALL: I LOVE when readers catch these sorts of careless errors. Always improves the post.