{"id":6843,"date":"2006-08-14T15:27:00","date_gmt":"2006-08-14T22:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/proteinwisdom.com\/?p=6843"},"modified":"2006-08-14T15:27:00","modified_gmt":"2006-08-14T22:27:00","slug":"self-fulfilling-anti-liberal-prophecies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/proteinwisdom.com\/?p=6843","title":{"rendered":"Self-fulfilling (anti-liberal) prophecies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Via Major John, a look at how the “diversity” movement in the academy—which I’ve described on numerous occasions as anathema to classical liberalism and the product of a worldview that is, at its core, radically egalitarian and superficial (reducing as it does the human experience down to arbitrary cosmetic \/ physiological traits) — is growing in stature and influence,<\/a> adding further to the already Orwellian atmosphere of institutes of higher learning that boast “free speech zones” and require cultural \/ and or sensitivity training seminars for incoming students during orientation.\n<\/p>\n

\nWhat’s worse, the academy (in particular, the social sciences) is responsible for conducting the research that proves the “need” for a diversity ethos that it has itself<\/i> invented, and that it is philosophically committed to seeing perpetuated—a social philosophical principle that as a kernel foundational assumption embraces \/ empowers group identity (which, ironically, is often based on something as completely anti-foundational as a shared “heritage” or a shared “gender identity”).\n<\/p>\n

\nThis empowerment, once it is accepted culturally, is one of the initial steps in undermining individual rights as the foundational imperative of classical liberalism.  Because what it does is transforms “diversity” as a social goal into “diversity” as a political movement, creating the kind of collective-based identity politics that rely upon the acceptance of a group-sanctioned narrative.  And once a “group” is defined by an official narrative, apostates can be excommunicated, and their identities maligned as inauthentic—creating social pressure not to break from the herd.\n<\/p>\n

\nToo, what the diversity movement portends is an inevitable move toward proportional representations—the kinds we already see in parts of old Europe and other “progressive” \/ socialist enclaves.  Which is precisely why its efficacy as a social experiment should not be judged by its ideologically committed proponents.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe longer we allow this movement to flourish—and it is easy for it to do so, having coopted language that makes it seem not only benign <\/i>but socially ameliorative and emotionally ideal<\/i> (after all, who coud be against “diversity”?)—the more difficult it will be to extricate ourselves from its machinations once its kernel assertions insinuate themselves into our culture the way they have already insinuated themselves into the increasinly illiberal academy.\n<\/p>\n

\nTrue diversity, of course, is to be celebrated:  a breadth of ideas and worldviews create a vibrant marketplace for ideas and encourage the very kind of intellectual and cultural cross-pollenation that has made this country so successful.  But for true diversity to work, it must always—always<\/i>—be founded on individual<\/i> diversity, and must eschew easy shortcuts that reduce it to superficialities that are indicative of a the most banal (and, from an historical perspective, venial<\/i>) form of diversity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Via Major John, a look at how the “diversity” movement in the academy—which I’ve described on numerous occasions as anathema to classical liberalism and the product of a worldview that is, at its core, radically egalitarian and superficial (reducing as it does the human experience down to arbitrary cosmetic \/ physiological traits) — is growing in stature and influence, adding further to the already Orwellian atmosphere of institutes of higher<\/p>\n

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