Academics blighted by ignorant elitism

IN RELATION to David Davies’ comments about universities and Brexit (October 27), it seems many academics are confused about the fundamentals of freedom of speech.

In a series of tweets attacking Davies and his parliamentary colleague Chris Heaton-Harris, many academics seem to conflate or confuse concepts such as democracy, autonomy, elite specialism and privilege with freedom of speech. The same conflations seem light on categories like obligation, justice, rule of law, fairness and the common polity.

What is notable about the incontinent blather coming from squealing boffins is the lack of clarity and direction offered by specialists in political theory. Political theory is that branch of philosophy which, academically, deals best with ideas such as justice. Why the silence?

A cursory glance at this issue on social media shows academics are in need of a schooling in logic and the real existence of barriers, boundaries and borders. Indeed, much contemporary academic ignorance is deliberately founded upon the denial of barriers and borders. Other lazy and politicised academics and politicos push at an open door when fashion for conveniently anarchic nonsense becomes the new norm.

It is little wonder many students come out of university half-educated. Thankfully most grow out of the pseudo-religious indoctrination. However, some stay infantlised as social workers, academics, feminists or independent weirdos.

Take a look at many of the tweets from the profs and you can see a wave of sophists pleading a case for bad logic, non-sequitur and special interest. What, for example, has asking questions about what is taught got to do with curtailing free speech? It is deeply worrying that cultivated minds feel free to express themselves as semi-educated loudmouths in a public space.

A Canadian academic suggested Western nations need to cut higher education funding. Prof Jordan Peterson argues politicians need to partially empty the propaganda swill trough; universities would then be forced to choose between the useful and the useless. Before this row, I was convinced a cut of a third would do. That may be an underestimate.

DP Edmunds Pontnewydd, Gwent