A majority of college campuses are extremely liberal, and with that comes extreme political correctness where free speech is banned and there is no debate or challenge of views on the campus. I am wondering which schools are least PC. They don’t have to be conservative but I would like them to be willing to have open dialogue of differing ideas. I know UChicago banned safe spaces and I really admire that. Thanks!
“A majority of college campuses are extremely liberal, and with that comes extreme political correctness where free speech is banned and there is no debate or challenge of views on the campus.”
In your eyes, it’s all or nothing, eh? Open minded much?
While plenty of college faculty are extremely politically liberal, that doesn’t mean that they or the university’s administration stifle relevant free speech in or out of the classroom. Most news media portrayals of “safe spaces” are grotesquely inaccurate IME.
I think in evaluating this question, it’s important to differentiate between the faculty and the student body. Faculty and admin might be tolerant of hearing even extreme views, but student bodies may protest.
This is an important and valid question and I commend you for asking it.
One way to look at this question is to see whether schools of one persuasion (liberal or conservative) have clubs of the opposite persuasion. That might be one indicator of tolerance.
you might want to also check the list of events and speakers invited to the campuses that interest you.
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I agree with whenhen in that the media largely overstates the spread of “safe spaces”. While there certainly are some colleges with overcontrolling PC culture, I don’t believe it to be many. Strong liberal leanings =/= absence of free speech just as strong conservative leanings =/= absence of free speech
Taking that idea in post 7 on strong political leanings to consider whether having NO leanings results in the most free speech: Google “most politically apathetic colleges” and there is a 2012 Princeton Review list of 10, led by the focused and hardworking College of the Ozarks (my grandparents took me there 40 years ago!) in the heart of one of the reddest states, Missouri. Then there is
2. Ohio Northern
3.Becker (Mass)
4.Duke
5. UScranton
6.UTampa
7. Stonehill (Mass)
8.Salisbury (Md)
9.Indiana U (penn)
10. Alfred (NY)
My first impression is that schools where students prioritize business skills- both blue collar and white collar nuts and bolts type skills- and enjoy sport (particularly lacrosse?!) are just too busy to engage in politics. If the students don’t talk politics there is no need to censor political discourse.
Any state flagship will have a mix of everything.
Moderate private campuses include Dickinson, Denison, St Olaf, the Loyolas (LA, NEw Orleans, Maryland, Chicago).
Note that 'not PC ’ does not equate to 'tolerate hate speech '.
@MYOS1634 But to some students anything that is not in line with their views is hate speech.
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I highly doubt that is true. Yes, college campuses are more liberal than average due to the demographic–students tend to be more liberal. But ‘extremely’ liberal? Hardly. There multiple college campuses in every state, many of their drawing students from communities that are traditionally conservative. Those student bodies are not going to be ‘extremely liberal’. Don’t go by what you see in the news. The extreme ‘PC’ stuff at campuses is one of the favorite click-baits of media. There are campuses that are known to be extremely liberal and politically active–a bit of searching on CC will come up with those.
Well, most people can distinguish hate speech from free speech.
To some people, anything is hate speech, it’s not a majority anywhere and not on college campuses.
To some people, condemning PC has become a way to justify insulting and demeaning groups of people that are deemed unworthy or subhuman or unwelcome to co exist. What they call PC is what we call 'common courtesy ’ and avoiding using words to speak of people that have been banned on TV for 30+ years. Those distorting speech are not a majority anywhere either.
We don’t know if the op is asking ‘is there a campus where I’ll be able to use the k-word for Jews’ or 'where I won’t be harassed for using the wrong pronoun '. Both categories currently exist and the former can be pretty vocal.
One would hope that people can distinguish between hate speech that is allowed as free speech and that which crosses the line into harassment or threats. One would also hope that one can defend free speech while also condemning the ideas behind some of the most vile and hateful protected speech.
But is that a realistic expectation these days?
@liska21 You write:
“There multiple college campuses in every state, many of their drawing students from communities that are traditionally conservative. Those student bodies are not going to be ‘extremely liberal’.”
I think the OP is looking for the names of some of these colleges.
As I said most flagships are representative of a variety of views, so Indiana U, Purdue, UIowa, UMn Twin Cities, UAlabama, USf, Uf, fsu, fiu, SUNY Bing, Suny Geneseo, Suny Buffalo, Suny Stony Brook, Arizona State, Montana State, UVA…
Thanks for all the replies!!! I am looking for schools at an ivy-league level where open discourse is allowed and the professors have a wide variety of political views. For example, Im not trying to find schools that are ok with using the n-word but instead are openly willing to criticize Black power movements. In terms of hate speech vs free speech, I think all speech should be allowed but if someone is blatantly racist or sexist the campus should debate them on why they are wrong.
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Sounds as if Furman would be right up your alley.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the “best” universities are known for liberal discourse and diversity of people and viewpoints.
There is currently a weird kind of snobbery in vogue where those who wish to be able to exclude minorities, LGBT, etc., look down on such diversity and discussion and describe themselves as somehow more “authentic”. Sure, I guess it’s more “authentic” to say whatever offensive thing crosses your mind and never worry that a person who hears you, would find it obnoxious.
Instead of looking for trouble (in the sense of “where can I go where I can be non-PC [rude] and no one will challenge my assumptions?”) - perhaps look to university, OP, as a place where you can learn more about people who are not exactly like you?
However, to answer your question, Caltech is known for being as you describe. Many of us consider that a negative.
I think OP is looking for a campus that is considered “classically liberal” in adhering to the freedom of speech and open exchange of views supported by Voltaire, for example , and historically by the ACLU in this country. Not all university campuses do so at present. I don’t see any indication OP desires to be surrounded by like minded people and am rather surprised at your presumption of that.
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