Scholars and Schemers: How the Left Ruined Higher Education

The article discusses how American higher education has been influenced by leftist ideas, tracing this trend back to the strategies proposed by Italian communist Antonio Gramsci. It argues that these ideologies have permeated universities and altered the academic environment profoundly.

1. Shift in Higher Education: The article claims that U. S. higher education has increasingly become left-leaning, moving beyond traditional liberal ideas to a more radical politicization of the academic landscape.

2. Historical Context: It compares past experiences in the classroom, where professors maintained academic integrity over politics, to current practices where political agendas dominate curricula and classroom discussions.

3. Danger in Academic Pursuits: It highlights how even neutral subjects, like mathematics, are now being framed as tools of oppression. For example, some institutions suggest that “Western Math” perpetuates systemic racism, affecting how mathematics is taught in schools.

4. Interpretation of Science: The article explores the perception that science is also tainted by racism. It mentions a claim by the journal Nature that science reflects bias due to its development predominantly in Western contexts and encourages a shift towards incorporating marginalized voices within scientific discourse.

5. Impact of Identity Politics: Higher education has seen the rise of identity studies, which prioritize political narratives over traditional academic rigor. These programs have facilitated the hiring of faculty more aligned with leftist ideologies.

6. Oppression of Dissent: The author describes a culture of fear in academia where scholars who push back against the prevailing radical narratives face social repercussions, including mobbing and public shaming.

7. Role of Gramsci's Ideology: The piece elaborates on Gramsci’s idea of a "war of position," where the left aims to infiltrate and influence civil institutions, including colleges, to reshape culture and ideology through consent rather than force.

8. Modern Education's Challenges: It argues that activism has overshadowed scholarship, with many faculty members prioritizing social justice over objectivity in their teaching.

9. Consequences for Academic Integrity: The article warns that this shift may threaten the foundational principles of scholarship as fewer faculty prioritize academic rigor, potentially leading to the marginalization of traditional scholars.

The article concludes that the infiltration of leftist ideologies into higher education has drastically changed the landscape, with a growing divide between traditional scholars and those who promote activist scholarship. It asserts that unless this trend is reversed, the quality of education and the pursuit of objective truth in American universities could be severely compromised. 

https://mises.org/mises-wire/scholars-and-schemers-how-left-ruined-higher-education