Academia’s search for the truth requires a contest between competing ideas. Students can only learn to think for themselves by being exposed to multiple competing viewpoints. In the recent past, “cancel culture” has encouraged people to conform and to self-censor out views that conflict with the conventional wisdom. FIRE’s student surveys show that such self-censorship has been felt by around 80% of students. Both Cornell’s admissions policies and its faculty hiring must promote viewpoint diversity.
Opinion: Honor The Spirit of the Kops Lecture