The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan cover image

The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan

Carole Hooven On Harvard's Existential Crisis

Jan 5, 2024
Carole Hooven discusses her experience at Harvard and the challenges she faced from the woke left. They explore Harvard's problems, the DEI structure, and the suppression of truth in universities. The speaker expresses their distress over the potential loss of freedom of thought and dialogue at universities, highlighting the importance of being able to disagree and engage in conversation.
42:26

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The DEI movement in academic institutions can lead to a chilling effect on open dialogue and rational discourse, as fear of reputational damage prevents faculty and administrators from defending controversial viewpoints.
  • Universities prioritizing feelings and sensitivities over truth-seeking create a chilling atmosphere where expressing disagreements or engaging in open debate becomes risky, negatively impacting academic freedom and intellectual growth.

Deep dives

The Influence of DEI and Fear of Reputational Damage

The podcast episode discusses the influence of the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) movement and the fear of reputational damage within academic institutions. The guest, Carol Hovin, a former Harvard lecturer, shares her experience of being targeted and labeled as transphobic by a graduate student after appearing on Fox News to discuss her book on the biology of sex. Hovin explains that the power of DEI and the fear of being seen as unsupportive or indifferent towards marginalized individuals prevented faculty and administrators from defending her. This fear of reputational damage illustrates the chilling effect DEI has on open dialogue and rational discourse in universities.

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