In its 2024 College Free Speech Rankings, FIRE (the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression) ranked MIT 136th. While MIT can congratulate itself on beating Harvard (which came dead last at #248), there is undeniably room for improvement.
Academic disciplines in the sciences and humanities employ different methodologies and draw on different evidence, but all aim for, and often arrive at, knowledge. This process works best when universities provide space for the open exchange of ideas. A cursory glance at history shows many cases where disfavored ideas have turned out to be true (well-known is Galileo’s heresy conviction for advocating heliocentrism); discouraging the investigation and debate of any idea, therefore, may impede the search for knowledge. Even false ideas are worth hearing and discussing, because a reasoned encounter between them and the truth can strengthen our conviction in the latter.
If a university should allow its faculty to pursue and debate ideas as they see fit, without interference, it should also do more: teach its students how to have productive good-faith conversations with others with whom they disagree. Having this ability is part of being a good citizen in a democracy. To the end of bringing MIT closer to this ideal, four faculty members—Alex Byrne (Linguistics and Philosophy), Anne McCants (History, Concourse Director), Linda Rabieh (Concourse), and Brad Skow (Linguistics and Philosophy)—have started a two-year project called Civil Discourse in the Classroom and Beyond. Generously funded by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the project has two core components: a speaker series open to the MIT community, and seminars in Concourse where students discuss freedom of expression and develop skills for successfully engaging in civil discourse. The speaker series will be integrated with the political scientist Yascha Mounk’s podcast, The Good Fight.
In addition to inviting interesting and provocative speakers it is important to demonstrate to students that MIT faculty are willing to roll up their sleeves and engage with perspectives not often heard on our campus. External speakers will therefore be paired with MIT faculty members. As bringing the MIT community into dialogue over controversial ideas is part of the aim, ample time will be set aside for questions from those in attendance. Everyone is welcome, so please spread the word.