Why higher education is a liberal bastion

Submitted by George Delury (United States), Apr 13, 2005 at 11:51

The academic enterprise is primarily a search for truth with the obvious implication that a new discovery may well contradict an old "truth." The search requires a high tolerance for uncertainty, ambiguity, and contradiction.
Today's conservatives noticeably lack this tolerance and tend strongly to want to cling to old truths, ancien-regime truths dressed up in new, tough-guy clothes. That might even be the defining characteristic of modern conservatism.
Conclusion: conservatives are not comfortable with or suited to the academic enterprise and tend to avoid it, leaving the enterprise to liberals.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".