In college, the search for truth takes precedence over hurt feelings

But the requirements of science leave room for the most diverse interpretations and starting points. The boundaries between scientific and non-scientific can never be formulated with precision. In borderline cases, it is wise to take the benefit of the doubt. The ax only falls when the flat land appears.

reptiles

By the way, Buijs is making it difficult for himself. It suggests that the symbols of masculinity and femininity are “folded up” into the “cosmic order”. The symbols are in fact “living beings”. The reptile is also such a cosmic symbol. David Icke’s idea that extraterrestrial reptilians are controlling us isn’t so crazy, says Buijs. Such esoteric fantasies, popular among the populist right, belong only to the university as an object of study. But as far as I know, Buijs has not yet claimed scientific status in his teaching.

The second issue raised by the students concerns the allegedly discriminatory character of Buijs’ opinions. The “safe space” is at the heart of the discourse on wounding. Minimally formulated, this concept means equal, non-discriminatory and respectful treatment of all. Seen in this light, this secure conference room differs little from Jürgen Habermas’ ideal of an egalitarian, powerless conversational situation.

The heart of Buijs’ opponents’ point of view is found in the following sentence of their petition: “We do not accept the denial of the lived reality of non-binary people. The authors are correct that Buijs views non-binary identity as a ghost and dismisses non-binary activism as extremism, attention seeking, and effect seeking. But is it reasonable to prohibit claiming that one’s identity is based on a misconception?

Warrior

Reformulated as a general principle, the view of activists is that statements with a negative or unfavorable intent towards countries, cultures or population groups as such should be considered discriminatory and hateful. But such statements are not necessarily so. How about the following statements: Western culture is the most warlike culture in history; men are on average more criminal than women; eating the host is a symbolic form of cannibalism. These are all thoughts that affect large groups in their lived identities and perhaps hurt them deeply. But negative generalizations are not yet discrimination. In college, the search for truth takes precedence over hurt feelings.

The safe space that blew from the United States has another fundamentally problematic dimension. A space is also considered dangerous when students are confronted with racist, transphobic or otherwise unpleasant theories or images – even if the teacher does not condone this misery but merely presents it as an object of study. Confrontation with this material is considered offensive as such and should therefore be avoided.

My Kampf

There is no better illustration of this radicalization of the concept of security than the word “nigger”. Since people gradually came to experience the word as a swear word, it was rightly removed from civilized parlance usage. But now the difference between using the word and just mentioning it has blurred. Even respectable dailies and weeklies are now replacing it without the slightest irony with “the N-word”. From this logic, a conference devoted to “The history of the word negro” produces insecurity. A conference on the Negritude movement will be difficult.

For years in my college of political philosophy, I have the chapter of My Kampf discussed the racist state with students. But, according to militant logic, couldn’t this have resulted in a “dangerous situation”, for example for Jewish students?

Irreconcilable militancy paradoxically goes hand in hand with a discourse of weakness: the simple confrontation with discriminatory remarks could already be experienced by students as an intolerable aggression. The diet that many adults consider necessary for children – keep what’s wrong with them! – is declared applicable by the militants to themselves and to their sympathizers: militant self-condescension. Academic freedom only remains intact if everything – no matter the word, image or text – can be named and shown; offensive material should never be declared taboo.

Erik van Ree is a former lecturer in Eastern European studies and visiting scholar at the UvA.