"The Yale Problem"

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Thursday, February 4. 2016

From A Conversation with Jonathan Haidt:

JONATHAN HAIDT: I didn’t even know about that. The president was supposed to be the grown-up in the room. He was supposed to show some wisdom, some balance, and some strength. And so we’ve seen, basically what can really only be called Maoist moral bullying – am we saw it very clearly at Claremont McKenna. The video is really chilling–the students surrounding this nice woman who was trying to help them, and reducing her to tears. As we’ve seen more and more of this, I’ve begun calling it, “the Yale problem,” referring to the way that left-leaning institutions are now cut off from any moral vocabulary that they could use to resist the forces of illiberalism. As far as I’m concerned, “Next Yale” can go find its own “Next Alumni.” I don’t plan to give to Yale ever again, unless it reverses course.

Posted by The Barrister in Education at 15:36 | Comments (14) | Trackbacks (0)

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JOHN LEO: So you voted for Obama.

JONATHAN HAIDT: Twice. I no longer consider myself a Democrat today. But let me be clear that I am absolutely horrified by today’s Republican Party – both in the presidential primaries and in Congress. If they nominate Trump or Cruz, I’ll vote for the Democrat, whoever it is.
-------------------------------------
That's as far as I made it.

#1 NJSoldier on 2016-02-04 16:02 (Reply)

No, go farther. I've been following Haidt's career for years and he has changed, admitted errors, rethought his theories in the face of new evidence. Those are good examples conservatives should consider a challenge in their own professional dealings. He's an honest man who comes from a very liberal history. He roots for the Democrats and wants them to wise up, but he makes no excuses for bad behavior.

I think he'll eventually be post-liberal. I recommend his 2012 The Righteous Mind.

#1.1 Assistant Village Idiot (Link) on 2016-02-04 16:32 (Reply)

That was as far as I read as well. The walk does not reinforce his "no longer a Democrat" talk.

#1.2 SgtBob (Link) on 2016-02-05 10:22 (Reply)

I have never understood the Alumni giving to colleges. I considered it a deal -- they gave me an opportunity to study and I paid their tuition and got my degree. I did not get emotionally attached to the idea, or buildings or professors. Most of which are no longer there. None of my college experience obligates me to donate to their ongoing efforts or current students. Neither of which appreciate my cash. And they do not listen to my suggestions.

#2 Blick on 2016-02-04 16:34 (Reply)

I agree. Since my degree turned out to be worthless, I'm never very cheerful when they come around asking me to throw good money after bad. I think a lot of people inflate the value of their college education/experience/degree through a combination of not beingwilling to admit they made an expensive mistake, trying to psychologically salvage something, and trying to convince others. How that goes to the extent of actually voluntarily paying even more eludes me.

#2.1 John on 2016-02-04 18:00 (Reply)

Colleges also sell the idea of belonging to its community forever, beginning the day you receive your acceptance letter. Which is why football and basketball teams are considered important. That feeling of joining a special group is part of what you are paying for.

#2.2 Assistant Village Idiot (Link) on 2016-02-05 09:36 (Reply)

Choose a major--Math, Engineering, Science--you will not have time for the nonsense--study--you will be rewarded with a job/profession and you can look back and laugh at the hand wringers.

#3 rocdoctom on 2016-02-04 17:19 (Reply)

Amazing. Haidt thinks himself to be 'apart' from the problem of blind liberalism. Yet reading the interview I see: "I voted for Obama. Twice", and "If they nominate Trump or Cruz, I'll vote democratic." What on earth? Oh I get it! He voted for Obama, but for all the right reasons.

Sigh... If he is the closest thing to heterodoxy in the Academy, then the Academy is, indeed, lost.

If you send your kids to kollage, make sure they are in a HARD science or, preferably, engineering (NOT a social science, if 3rd semester calculus is not required it is NOT a science). You will find many liberals there, but also many more quiet conservatives. It is hard to be an engineer - a REAL engineer, not a software engineer ;-> and not see how absurd SJW's are.

I agree with all the above commenters except AVI. Haidt is just a liberal apologist. "Geez, sorry we squander all you poor working stiff's money, but it IS for a good cause! Surely you can be educated to SEE that, right?? Juuuust trust us!"

He mentions victims in his interview, and we know who he is talking about. But the only victims that I know are real are the tax payer, the menches that get up every morning, go to work, that they probably don't like doing, and pay their taxes. They are now having their hands thoroughly bitten by those that they willingly, over the years, tried to help and by those that they voted into office. Enough!

Sorry for the Ramble, but I am pretty stinking mad. Mad enough to vote for ANYONE but an aging brain-dead communist or a multiple-felon.

I am no harda** social conservative, I lean toward libertarian 'live and let live', but I have been pushed to my limit and AM a harda** economic conservative. We have paid enough.

Trump? Cruz? Fine.

TheCaptain

#4 TheCaptain on 2016-02-04 18:21 (Reply)

I suggest you look at his website:

Hetrodox Academy
I highly recommend The Yale Problem Begins in High School.

#4.1 Gringo on 2016-02-04 19:47 (Reply)

Stopped giving to my college ever since they went after the Christian student fellowship. (Obviously having Bible studies is a real threat to the well-being of other students -- excuse the sarcasm.)

Except for a nominal donation so I still get the calendar. It has pretty pictures of the campus.

#5 Jim on 2016-02-04 21:02 (Reply)

"That night, after I gave a different talk to an adult audience, there was a reception at which I spoke with some of the parents. Several came up to me to tell me that their sons had told them about the day’s events. The boys finally had a way to express and explain their feelings of discouragement. Their parents were angry to learn about how their sons were being treated and… there’s no other word for it, bullied into submission by the girls."

Understand that a lot of this is due to Title IX, which has been used by the Left to club males and bully everything but feminist or LGBT viewpoints into submission in educational institutions across the country. And now the Obama administration has ruled (without authority) it also applies to transgenderism.

Here's one example of how Title IX is being forced on virtually every academic institution in America:

"Title IX Applies to Private Schools"
http://www.aauw.org/2010/10/12/private-schools/

#6 Jim on 2016-02-04 21:36 (Reply)

I'm not quite sure this is an issue for Americans. These are not state run universities in the sense they are funded and run totally by the state. These are private universities, meaning the students choose which one they want to attend, and if they can get in, then they pay whatever the university demands in payment.

If these students choose to attend a particular university, and are okay with how the campus is run, then that's entirely their choice. If other students don't like it, they are free to attend other universities. It's all free market capitalism. The perfect consumer based system.

I really don't see this as being any different than any other commercial venture. The choice is up to the consumer. If these universities want to have some ridiculous program of leftist idealism, who cares? Serious students will attend other universities who focus on the serious subjects like science and math.

Anyone with a brain, talent and skill will be studying serious subjects, not gender studies anyway. Then again, when these people do graduate, what industry is going to hire them? Google? Apple? GM? I think not.

That's what the interview is for!

.

#7 Karl Horst (Germany) on 2016-02-05 02:18 (Reply)

Then again, when these people do graduate, what industry is going to hire them? Google? Apple? GM? I think not.

Universities will hire them as Diversity/Affirmative Action/Gender Equity etc. Administrators.

A primary reason that university tuition costs have increased above inflation during recent decades is the addition of administrators. Many of these additional administrators are in effect federally mandated, as they are hired to insure that universities are in compliance with the increasing number of federal mandates regarding universities.

As private universities accept federal funding, they are also subject to the federal mandates.

#7.1 Gringo on 2016-02-05 11:22 (Reply)

I was a college professor for 10 years (Science and Math) and washed my hands in disgust. If I were King of the college world I would do two things-- #1. eliminate the Deans position, and #2. eliminate any major with Studies in the title. But that is just me.

#8 rocdoctom on 2016-02-05 14:31 (Reply)

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Thursday, February 4. 2016

"The Yale Problem"