Education and social justice

Schumpeter wrote about how universities are “torn between their responsibilities to learning and social justice” (February 24th). This tension underlies the crisis in higher education. Learning and knowledge have been central to universities since the Middle Ages, but the idea that they have a mission to further social justice is new and it is a misunderstanding. Although the definition of knowledge (justified true belief ) has remained remarkably constant and is not political, interpretations of what constitutes justice vary widely and are fundamentally political and cultural.

These interpretations range from Plato’s “Republic” to Augustine’s city of God, Edmund Burke, Karl Marx and John Rawls. Even the Hindu caste system can be considered an expression of justice, based on a metaphysical worldview that involves reincarnation and a soul receiving a just incarnation based on behaviour in previous lives.

The pursuit of knowledge can unite diverse cultures and political views, but any push for social justice is, by nature, culturally and politically narrow. Universities can resolve many of their woes by returning to a core mission based on knowledge.

DAVID BERTIOLI

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

The new president of Dartmouth, Sian Beilock, has won widespread acclaim for her secret sauce of keeping the academic space academic. A perfect example is the university’s Israel-Palestine course, which is co-taught by the Jewish and Middle Eastern studies departments. The professors lead by example. They disagree, sometimes vehemently, but the conversation never stops and the discourse always stays civil.

Asking questions and listening to answers, even if you don’t agree with them, might be all it takes to be a good university president. Oh, and don’t build your résumé on plagiarised papers, that would probably help too.

EVAN KELMAR

Washington, DC