I was reading Stanley Fish’s opinion piece in the New York Times about the University of Colorado’s plan to create a Chair of Conservative Thought at their Boulder campus. The reason? To address political imbalance at the university. Does this mean that they are also going fund a Chair of Liberal Thought? You know, in the interest of “balance”? Probably not.

But does this mean that only a conservative can teach a course in conservative thought? If that’s the case, then how do you explain the wealth of academic knowledge on conservative thinkers like Plato and Aristotle published by individuals who fundamentally disagree with the object of their study? Have those academics (not schooled by Leo Strauss or any of is disciples) been less informed on Platonic or Aristotelian thought? Is there one way, and only one way, to read a text?

You see, just bringing up these questions starts a line of inquiry that leads to a less politically charged atmosphere. I should amend that last sentence to say that while questions of politics are discussed, they are not the end-all and be-all of the discussion. Those whose credentials reflect a life not devoted to the pursuit of money or power, but rather to the rather solitary and tedious study of ideas, will often teach with an eye toward the critical analysis of political ideas — and that includes those which one holds dearly. (more…)