On Wednesday’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” Harvard Law Professor Nikolas Bowie responded to a question on whether the school has had problems with intellectual diversity by stating that “having conservative and other colleagues who can participate in these conversations is critical. But it shouldn’t be done at the point of a financial gun.”
Co-host Michel Martin asked, [relevant exchange begins around 2:20] “So, one of the criticisms the Trump administration has leveled at Harvard is that there has not been adequate viewpoint diversity, meaning that there are not enough — or fewer conservative viewpoints represented on the faculty and in the teaching and so forth. In Harvard’s response on Monday, it said it had already made major changes over the last 15 months to devote resources to programs that promote ideological diversity. So, isn’t that, in some way, an admission that the Trump administration had a point there?”
Bowie answered, “I think that it’s important that faculty and administrators determine what is taught at Harvard and other universities. For us to change what we think is important because of prevailing orthodoxy in the White House would turn Harvard’s pursuit of truth, its motto of Veritas, into just pursuit of popular opinion. That may be an important role for politicians to take, and elected officials, but it’s not the role of academics. Our job is to gain wisdom and understanding. And of course, that requires bringing in diverse viewpoints. And of course, having conservative and other colleagues who can participate in these conversations is critical. But it shouldn’t be done at the point of a financial gun.”
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