George Janko

But somehow I moved from one position about politics to a different one, from a more liberal to a more conservative position. And that's because Plato, my interlocutor, made me think. He offered criticisms of views that I had held, rather uncritically as it turned out. I was just a kid. But he offered criticisms that I found persuasive. If we're to have any hope

But somehow I moved from one position about politics to a different one, from a more liberal to a more conservative position. And that's because Plato, my interlocutor, made me think. He offered criticisms of views that I had held, rather uncritically as it turned out. I was just a kid. But he offered criticisms that I found persuasive. If we're to have any hope

of increasing the number of true beliefs and decreasing the number of false beliefs that we have. We've got to allow our critics to speak. We can't immunize ourselves from criticism of our views. And we need to listen to that person, not just sit by and politely let them talk. Genuinely listen in a true speaking spirit, understanding that he might be right and we might be wrong.

of increasing the number of true beliefs and decreasing the number of false beliefs that we have. We've got to allow our critics to speak. We can't immunize ourselves from criticism of our views. And we need to listen to that person, not just sit by and politely let them talk. Genuinely listen in a true speaking spirit, understanding that he might be right and we might be wrong.

Or at least he might be partially right and we might be partially wrong.

Or at least he might be partially right and we might be partially wrong.

Not enough not enough do some do cornell and I had the privilege of joining together with we're now up to 1000 almost 1000 professors. From universities all over the country and across the ideological spectrum to we form the academic freedom alliance we're doing the work that. At another time, at a better time, the AAUP, the American Association of University Professors, would have done.

Not enough not enough do some do cornell and I had the privilege of joining together with we're now up to 1000 almost 1000 professors. From universities all over the country and across the ideological spectrum to we form the academic freedom alliance we're doing the work that. At another time, at a better time, the AAUP, the American Association of University Professors, would have done.

But they don't seem to be holding up the standard of free speech and academic freedom in the way they should, in my opinion. So we created a new organization of people who are dedicated to freedom of speech, and we're trying to preach this gospel. We're trying to preach it to our colleagues, and we're trying to preach it to our students.

But they don't seem to be holding up the standard of free speech and academic freedom in the way they should, in my opinion. So we created a new organization of people who are dedicated to freedom of speech, and we're trying to preach this gospel. We're trying to preach it to our colleagues, and we're trying to preach it to our students.

And the main way we're trying to preach it, it's not the only way, but the main way we're trying to preach it is by example. Cornell and I are trying to lead here by example. We want to show people how you engage in robust but civil truth-seeking discourse. We want to try to model a frail, fallible human beings that we are. As Cornell says, crack vessels. We're still doing our best.

And the main way we're trying to preach it, it's not the only way, but the main way we're trying to preach it is by example. Cornell and I are trying to lead here by example. We want to show people how you engage in robust but civil truth-seeking discourse. We want to try to model a frail, fallible human beings that we are. As Cornell says, crack vessels. We're still doing our best.

to model what it means to listen to somebody else in a truth speaking spirit.

to model what it means to listen to somebody else in a truth speaking spirit.

Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, we got to get back to the mission of universities, which is truth seeking, truth seeking for scholars as researchers, truth seeking for students as learners. And that means that the fundamental mission is not social justice and the fundamental mission is not training people to go into Goldman Sachs. Those are fine. It's good that people struggle for causes they believe in.

Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, we got to get back to the mission of universities, which is truth seeking, truth seeking for scholars as researchers, truth seeking for students as learners. And that means that the fundamental mission is not social justice and the fundamental mission is not training people to go into Goldman Sachs. Those are fine. It's good that people struggle for causes they believe in.

It's good that they get good jobs. We want our students to be active in the world. We want our students to get good jobs. We want them to have good professional careers, but those are not the mission of the university, not the fundamental mission. We can carry them on fine.

It's good that they get good jobs. We want our students to be active in the world. We want our students to get good jobs. We want them to have good professional careers, but those are not the mission of the university, not the fundamental mission. We can carry them on fine.

as long as we keep our focus where it belongs on the central mission, getting at the truth of things, whether the truth is pleasant to us or not pleasant to us, whether it's what we want to hear, whether it flatters our preconceived notions, whether it serves our tribal interests, or whether it doesn't.

as long as we keep our focus where it belongs on the central mission, getting at the truth of things, whether the truth is pleasant to us or not pleasant to us, whether it's what we want to hear, whether it flatters our preconceived notions, whether it serves our tribal interests, or whether it doesn't.