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Originally Posted by Toy Soldier
It’s complicated really. There is a legitimate fear amongst academics from all across the political spectrum about the consequences of asking unloaded questions in the genuine pursuit of knowledge if they think those questions are going to bring down the wrath of large, and often aggressive, emotionally-driven groups. My wife has had to turn down offers of co-authoring a few papers recently, because the topics are simple “too hot” to risk exploring, even from a neutral/professional standpoint, at this point in her career. From an intellectual/academic angle that is really quite worrying. There is a not-small group that believes neutrality = the enemy, academic enquiry rather than blanket acceptance = hateful.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Niamh.
I've just started reading a book my brother recommended called The Coddling of the American Mind which really delves in to that and how society has arrived here
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Reason #6554643 social media is toxic. The best way to deal with twitter seethe is to just ignore it, and it's a shame that the fear of people throwing around baseless accusations keeps academics from discussing any issue.
This effectively gives the entire discussion exclusively to people on youtube who may not be qualified to fully explore the issue, or at worst, people who want to use it to spread hate.
Much like how flag-waving needs to be reclaimed by patriotic people who aren't racist, academic discussion of "difficult" topics needs to be re-embraced by those willing to do so.
Let's face it - violent men who beat up transwomen aren't reading Germaine Greer
Until someone actively calls for violence, there shouldn't be limits on what can be discussed.