While I usually agree with Liam's witty pronouncements on the reasoning of others (and you must agree that Liam doesn't just express his opinion, he passes judgment with a swift blow of verbal acrobatics--Kevin Carey, I'm sure, would agree) I must take issue with his latest post, mostly for blithely linking to an argument on which commentary is sorely needed.
Once you get past the first few paragraphs, I happen to agree with Mr. Fish; professors are not responsible for solving the world's ills and must adhere to standards of professionalism when it comes to sharing their personal (and usually political) beliefs in the classroom. But those first few paragraphs are simply off the mark. Here's the problem: the mission of a university is not the sole purview of the professors.
He accuses Yale (which for full disclosure's sake happens to be my alma mater, but Wesleyan takes a beating too) of trying to develop the "moral, civic and creative capacities [of its students] to the fullest." But he goes astray when he puts this responsibility squarely on the shoulders of professors. In fact, he's right when he says, "You could ace all your political science and public policy courses and still drop out and go live in the woods or become the Unabomber." But that's the whole point. It's the experience of living and learning in common with your peers that teaches you moral and civic responsibility--not having it preached to you in a classroom. This communal structure, with its musical, theatrical, athletic, and service opportunities, is what makes American universities the envy of all our neighbors. The professors are an important part of the academic experience (and for $45,000+ a year I would certainly hope so) but it is a fine display of professorial arrogance to assert that they are the only element entrusted with the school's mission.
In a way, Fish is almost there. Fish tells professors: "You might just make them into good researchers. You can't make them into good people, and you shouldn't try." He's right. Professors should stop trying to make their students into good people, but not because there is something wrong with the university's mission overall. They should stop trying to make their students into good people because it's not their job in the first place. Universities, on the other hand, must and should continue to foster moral and civic responsibility in their students through social, extracurricular and community interaction.
