L'Affaire Hayekian

I would like to concur with Ann's post re: the liberal ideocracy prevailing at Boalt. It's not so stifling as one might expect, given Berkeley's reputation as a whole. However, Boalt is part of Berkeley (for better more often than for worse), and as such suffers from the same politically blindered (or myopic, if you prefer) tendencies.

The most tragic aspect of the predominance of "liberal" (by this I mean the contemporary PC definition, none of Ann's noted definitions) ideology at Boalt is that it robs students of chances to refine their views in the gladatorial (and yet safe) arena of academic debate. I have learned more throughout my life by engaging those who don't share my views than I've learned from those with whom I am in perfect accord (of course, the latter sample size is zero, so whatever, but you know where I'm going with this).

This is not to castigate my fellow classmates for their deeply held political views, which they are of course entitled to. But real intellectual debate requires an openness to differing perspectives that is unfortunately sometimes lost in the passion of people's individual beliefs here.

Of course, what with all the French historical references being tossed around, people are going to think we're all a bunch of namby-pamby cheese-eating surrender monkeys anyway.