Comments on: Answering Back To Israel’s Campus Critics http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2008/06/17/answering-back-to-israel%e2%80%99s-campus-critics/ Conservative and Libertarian Intellectual Philosophy and Politics Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: sedonaman http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2008/06/17/answering-back-to-israel%e2%80%99s-campus-critics/comment-page-1/#comment-72603 sedonaman Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:43:25 +0000 http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2008/06/17/answering-back-to-israel%e2%80%99s-campus-critics/#comment-72603 “There is nothing unseemly about countering speech — even hateful speech — with more speech. In fact, that is the very heart of the university's mission.” While I agree with the main point of this article, I take exception to free speech being “the very heart of the university's mission.” Catholic League president Dr. William Donohue states it more precisely: "Higher education does not exist so that all ideas can be exchanged freely – that can be done in a bar. Its purpose is the pursuit of truth." And free speech is but a means to that end: “Universities were not founded to promote freedom of speech, but to pursue truth. The pursuit of the truth, of course, is contingent on free speech as a means towards that end. But it is precisely because speech at a university is conditional that it cannot be absolute. For example, speech which unarguably does not facilitate the pursuit of truth, or which is by all rational measures demonstrably false, should not be given a platform at any institution of higher education. That is why circus entertainers are not asked to perform on college campuses, nor are spokesmen from the Flat Earth Society invited to speak.” “There is nothing unseemly about countering speech — even hateful speech — with more speech. In fact, that is the very heart of the university’s mission.”

While I agree with the main point of this article, I take exception to free speech being “the very heart of the university’s mission.”

Catholic League president Dr. William Donohue states it more precisely: “Higher education does not exist so that all ideas can be exchanged freely – that can be done in a bar. Its purpose is the pursuit of truth.” And free speech is but a means to that end: “Universities were not founded to promote freedom of speech, but to pursue truth. The pursuit of the truth, of course, is contingent on free speech as a means towards that end. But it is precisely because speech at a university is conditional that it cannot be absolute. For example, speech which unarguably does not facilitate the pursuit of truth, or which is by all rational measures demonstrably false, should not be given a platform at any institution of higher education. That is why circus entertainers are not asked to perform on college campuses, nor are spokesmen from the Flat Earth Society invited to speak.”

]]> By: Patrick Mulligan http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2008/06/17/answering-back-to-israel%e2%80%99s-campus-critics/comment-page-1/#comment-72582 Patrick Mulligan Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:46:55 +0000 http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2008/06/17/answering-back-to-israel%e2%80%99s-campus-critics/#comment-72582 "Professor Matory claims that he is seeking a greater civility on campus through reasoned academic discourse, but his real intention seems to be to create that civility by having only his side of the discussion be heard" Yeah, it's amazing how that works with liberal thinkers. To quote Thomas Sowell, "The next time some academics tell you how important 'diversity' is, ask how many Republicans there are in their sociology department.". The entire leftist concept of "freedom" and "rights" is predicated upon this type of thinking. You should be free to do whatever I deem is morally good or beneficial. You should have the right to say what I think is right. You should have the right to agree with me. Vary from a liberal in thought or deed though, and suddenly you find yourself desperately wanting for the very same rights they espouse for themselves. “Professor Matory claims that he is seeking a greater civility on campus through reasoned academic discourse, but his real intention seems to be to create that civility by having only his side of the discussion be heard”

Yeah, it’s amazing how that works with liberal thinkers. To quote Thomas Sowell, “The next time some academics tell you how important ‘diversity’ is, ask how many Republicans there are in their sociology department.”. The entire leftist concept of “freedom” and “rights” is predicated upon this type of thinking. You should be free to do whatever I deem is morally good or beneficial. You should have the right to say what I think is right. You should have the right to agree with me. Vary from a liberal in thought or deed though, and suddenly you find yourself desperately wanting for the very same rights they espouse for themselves.

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