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SundayReview | OPEDCOLUMNIST

TheLiberalBlindSpot
NicholasKristof MAY28,2016

CLASSICliberalismexaltedtolerance,reflectedinalineoften(andprobably
wrongly)attributedtoVoltaire:Idisapproveofwhatyousay,butIwilldefend
tothedeathyourrighttosayit.

Onuniversitycampuses,thatissometimesupdatedto:Idisapproveof
whatyousay,soshutup.

Inacolumnafewweeksago,Iofferedaconfessionofliberal
intolerance,criticizingmyfellowprogressivesforpromotingallkindsof
diversityoncampusesexceptideological.Iarguedthatuniversitiesrisk
becomingliberalechochambersandhostileenvironmentsforconservatives,
andespeciallyforevangelicalChristians.

AsIseeit,wearehypocritical:Wewelcomepeoplewhodontlooklikeus,
aslongastheythinklikeus.

Itsrareforacolumntoinspirewidespreadagreement,butthatoneledto
aconsensus:AlmosteveryliberalagreedthatIwasdeadwrong.

Youdontdiversifywithidiots,assertedthereadercommentonThe
Timesswebsitethatwasmostrecommendedbyreaders(1,099ofthem).
Another:Conservativesarenarrowmindedandaresuretheyhavetheright

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answers.

Finally,thisonerecommendedbyreaders:Iamgrosslydisappointedin
youforthisessay,Mr.Kristof.Youhavespentsomuchtimeintroubledplaces
seeminglycallingoutmisogynyandbigotry.Andyethereyouare,scolding
andshamingprogressivesfornotmindlesslyacceptingpatriarchy,misogyny,
complementarianism,andhateful,hatefulbigotryagainsttheLGBTQ
communityintotheacademy.

Mixedinherearelegitimateissues.Idontthinkthatauniversityshould
hireanincompoopwhodisputesevolution,oraracistwhopreaches
inequality.ButasIseeit,thebiggerproblemisnotthatconservativesare
infiltratingsocialsciencedepartmentstospreadhatred,butratherthat
liberalshaveturneddepartmentsintoenclavesofideologicalhomogeneity.

Sure,therearedumbordogmaticconservatives,justastherearedumb
anddogmaticliberals.Soletsavoidthosewhoaredumbanddogmatic,
withoutusingpoliticsorfaithasashorthandformentalacuity.

Oncampusesatthispoint,illiberalismisledbyliberals.Thekneejerk
impulsetoprotestcampusspeakersfromtherighthasgrownsomuchthat
evenDemocratslikeMadeleineAlbright,thefirstfemalesecretaryofstate,
havebeentargeted.

Obviously,thechallengesfacedbyconservativesarenotthesameasthose
facedbyblacks,reflectingcenturiesofdiscriminationthatcontinuestoday.
Iveoftenwrittenaboutunconsciousbiasandabouthowmanywhitesjust
dontgetit.Butliberalsclaimtobechampionsofinclusivenesssowhy,in
theacademicturfthatwecontrol,arentweourselvesmoreinclusive?Ifweare
alerttobiasinotherdomains,whydontwetackleourownliberalblindspot?

Frankly,thetorrentofscornforconservativeclosedmindedness
confirmedmyviewthatweontheleftcanbeprettyclosedmindedourselves.

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AsIseeit,therearethreegoodreasonsforuniversitiestobemore
welcomingnotjusttowomenorblacks,butalsotoconservatives.

First,stereotypinganddiscriminationarewrong,whetheragainstgaysor
Muslims,oragainstconservativesorevangelicals.Weshouldntdefineoneas
bigotryandtheotherasenlightenment.

Whenasurveyfindsthatmorethanhalfofacademicsinsomefields
woulddiscriminateagainstajobseekerwhotheylearnedwasanevangelical,
thatfeelstomelikebigotry.

Second,theresabundantevidenceofthebenefitsofdiversity.Bringingin
membersofminoritiesisnotanactofcharitybutawayofstrengtheningan
organization.Yetuniversitiessufferasicklysameness:Fourstudieshave
foundthatatmostonlyaboutoneprofessorin10inthehumanitiesorsocial
sciencesisaRepublican.

IveoftendenouncedconservativefearmongeringaboutMuslimsand
refugees,andtheliberalhostilitytowardevangelicalsseemsrootedinasimilar
insularity.SurveysshowthatAmericanshavenegativeviewsofMuslimswhen
theydontknowanyIsuspectmanyliberalsdisdainevangelicalsinpart
becausetheydonthaveanyevangelicalfriends.

Sure,achievingdiversityisafrustratingprocess,butitenriches
organizationsandimprovesdecisionmaking.Soletsaimforideologicalas
wellasethnicdiversity.

Third,whenscholarsclusterontheleftendofthespectrum,they
marginalizethemselves.Wedesperatelyneedacademicslikesociologistsand
anthropologistsinfluencingAmericanpublicpolicyonissueslikepoverty,yet
whentheyareinanouterleftorbit,theirwisdomoftengoesuntapped.

Incontrast,economistsremaininfluential.Iwonderifthatisntpartly
becausethereisacriticalmassofRepublicaneconomistswhobattlethe

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DemocraticeconomistsandthustetherthedisciplinetotheAmerican
mainstream.

Ivehadscoresofearnestconversationswithscholarsontheseissues.
Manymakethepointthattheresimplyarentmanyconservativesocial
scientistsavailabletohire.Thatstrue.Theselfselectionisalso
understandable:IfIwereontheright,Idbewaryofpursuinganacademic
career(conservativesrepeatedlydescribedtomebeingbelittledoncampuses
andsufferingwhatinothercontextsarecalledmicroaggressions).

Toimprovediversity,universitieshavetriedtoincreasethenumbersof
minorityscholarsinthepipeline,inpartbybeingmorewelcoming.Maybea
startingpointtobolsterideologicaldiversitywouldlikewisebetosignalthat
conservativesarenotsecondclasscitizensoncampuses:Weliberalsshould
havetheselfconfidencetobelievethatourvaluescantriumphinafaircontest
inthemarketplaceofideas.

Therearenoquicksolutionstotheideologicalhomogeneityoncampuses,
butshouldntweatleastacknowledgethatthisisashortcoming,ratherthan
celebrateoursameness?

Cantwebeabitmoreselfawarewhenwedismissconservativesasso
cockyandnarrowmindedthattheyshouldbeexcludedfromlargeswathsof
highereducation?

Cocky?Narrowminded?Isuggestthatwelookinthemirror.

Iinviteyoutosignupformyfree,twiceweeklynewsletter.Whenyoudo,youll
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Ialsoinviteyoutovisitmyblog,OntheGround.Pleasealsojoinmeon
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(@NickKristof).

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