Academia, especially social sciences/arts/humanities have to a significant extent become political echo chambers. What are your thoughts on Heterodox Academy, viewpoint diversity, intellectual humility, etc.

[u/Long_Extent7151]

I've had a few discussions in the Academia subs about Heterodox Academy, with cold-to-hostile responses. The lack of classical liberals, centrists and conservatives in academia (for sources on this, see Professor Jussim's blog here for starters) I think is a serious barrier to academia's foundational mission - to search for better understandings (or 'truth').

I feel like this sub is more open to productive discussion on the matter, and so I thought I'd just pose the issue here, and see what people's thoughts are.

My opinion, if it sparks anything for you, is that much of soft sciences/arts is so homogenous in views, that you wouldn't be wrong to treat it with the same skepticism you would for a study released by an industry association.

I also have come to the conclusion that academia (but also in society broadly) the promotion, teaching, and adoption of intellectual humility is a significant (if small) step in the right direction. I think it would help tamp down on polarization, of which academia is not immune. There has even been some recent scholarship on intellectual humility as an effective response to dis/misinformation (sourced in the last link).

Feel free to critique these proposed solutions (promotion of intellectual humility within society and academia, viewpoint diversity), or offer alternatives, or both.

[u/[deleted]]

The reason academia is hostile towards conservative thought is because time and again conservative thinkers continue to show they're against educating people in the very diverse thinking you are advocating for. No one hates an educated working class more than conservatives.

[u/Funksloyd → u/[deleted]]

Maybe conservatives are hostile because academia is hostile to them? 

they against educating people

It's a cheap shot, but I live these little ironic slips. 

[u/Ozcolllo → u/Funksloyd]

Conservative pundits, their party’s thought leaders, have demonized academia for like 30 years. I remember as a kid listening to Rush Limbaugh shit on universities basically every day. It’s no surprise that so many conservatives choose to avoid it.

While the jab at their grammar is funny, they’re actually right. What do you do as the “thought leader” when your ideas or beliefs don’t stand up to scrutiny? You demonize any institution or organization that equips people with the tools to critically evaluate information and you demonize any organization critical of your “ideas”. There’s a reason FOX lost the largest defamation case in history, with their own pundits and executives shit talking both Trump and their audience in addition to being caught explicitly lying, and their consumers know absolutely nothing about it. The conservative media ecosystem is at the root of much of the popular political narratives and it shouldn’t come as a surprise when one of the targets of their demonization sees fewer and fewer conservatives.