What Do They Think Universities Are For

A weird belief among the FREE SPEECH CROWD is that the entire point of universities is for the young Bari Weisses of the world to pay important people to listen to their bullshit in class, along with forcing other students to do the same. The obsession with CONSERVATIVE STUDENTS NOT FEELING COMFORTABLE SPEAKING or whatever shows that they think CLASSROOM DISCUSSION (people listening to MEEEE) is the entire point.

Classroom discussion has its place, but it's really something of pedagogical value to a subset of students in some subjects. People learn in different ways, and for some people talking through something is a critical part of that. Some students really are quite happy to sit in the back and say nothing (and probably to tune out Bari), as they learn better from the lectures or reading.

This vision of university classrooms as just dorm room bullshit sessions is a hilariously narcissistic one.

The essence of THE ENLIGHTENMENT is an unwavering commitment to inquiry, always asking questions, rejecting claims of authority and subjecting all knowledge to scrutiny. This I believe. Also I won't be answering any questions about the fake-ass university I tried to start. pic.twitter.com/cOYHdiYTrF

— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) November 16, 2021

Probably some of these idiots starting their university (this is the joke version) have never gotten over their fellow students rolling their eyes at them in class, because they would not shut the fuck up.