This essay, on viewpoint diversity, academic objectivity and free speech, was my Observer column this week. It was published on 20 April 2025, under the headline “Trump’s political bullying of Harvard will do nothing to foster diversity of thought”. Few people want to live in an echo chamber. Many have no problem being friends with those who vote differently to the way they do. And many would probably agree with John Stuart Mill that “he who knows only his own side of the case, […]| Pandaemonium
John Root writes: Eric Kaufmann's Taboo (reviewed last week here) is centrally about the damaging slippage in Anglophone culture from ‘cultural liberalism’ (such as equality of opportunity) to ‘cultural socialism’ (such as equality of outcome); a process that requires cancelling the expression of resistant ideas, inflated concern about the dangers of ‘harm’, and an increased| Psephizo
John Root offers this review of Eric Kaufmann's Taboo: How making Race sacred produced a Cultural Revolution. The week-end before last the Wireless Festival was held in Finsbury Park just down the road from my home. Amongst the items that attendees were prohibited from bringing were ‘Clothing, garments, items which promote cultural appropriation’. What’s going| Psephizo