Oct 04, 2022 06:00:00

Academic presentations are obliged to explain ``how to help achieve the goal of anti-racism,'' and prominent researchers announce their withdrawal, arguing against the connection between academics and political correctness

Jonathan Height , a prominent social psychologist at New York University, has announced his intention to withdraw from the major academic organization he belongs to, Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) . This decision was made in response to the requirement that researchers presenting at SPSP conferences be required to explain how their research will help achieve SPSP's anti-racism goals.

When Truth and Social Justice Collide, Choose Truth
https://www.chronicle.com/article/when-truth-and-social-justice-collide-choose-truth

Haidt Quits Academic Society Due To Diversity Statement Mandate
https://reason.com/2022/09/30/mandated-diversity-statement-drives-jonathan-haidt-to-quit-academic-society/

Mr. Heidt is a social psychologist known for his works such as `` Why society is divided into left and right - moral psychology for overcoming conflict ' ', and is a professor of ethics at New York University at the time of writing the article. . On September 20, 2022, Mr. Heidt published an article titled ``When truth and social justice collide, I choose truth,'' and expressed his views on the political issues surrounding scientific research.

First, Mr. Heidt touched on the ancient Greek word ``telos'', which he mentioned in his 2016 lecture, and explained that telos means ``a purpose or goal aimed at by an action or organization.'' Saying that the telos of knives is 'cutting', the telos of medicine is 'healing', and the telos of universities is 'truth', universities use certain methods to approach truth in certain fields. He expressed his view that it is an organization aimed at

Although there can be multiple goals and values of the university, telos can only have one like the North Star, and an attempt to create a second telos will shake the original telos, Mr. Height argues. He also predicted that 'social justice', which has begun to be emphasized in universities in recent years, will threaten the 'truth' telos as a second telos, and that conflicts between truth and social justice will arise in universities. In an article in September 2022, six years after the lecture, Mr. Heidt said that the prediction at that time became a reality.

In this article, together with telos, Mr. Heidt takes up the word 'Fiduciary Duty'. Fiduciary duty refers to the absolute loyalty and responsibility of a person or entity to a particular beneficiary when acting as an agent (fiduciary) to that beneficiary. In other words, the trustee must consider the needs of the beneficiary first and foremost, and not take advantage of the position of the trustee.

And Haidt believes that academics and scientists have a fiduciary responsibility to the 'truth.' Precisely because the concept of 'truth' is difficult to act as a beneficiary or give instructions to a fiduciary, Mr. Heidt uses the term 'quasi-fiduciary duty.'

For example, a professor said, ``I have received support from SNS companies and devoted myself to research that denies the harmfulness of SNS. 'I intentionally distort the translation of the Bible in order to avoid discouraging people from losing faith in an accurate translation of the Bible.' 'Remove from' is a violation of the quasi-fiduciary duty to the beneficiary of truth.

In the article, Mr. Haidt alleges that the SPSP asked him to violate his quasi-fiduciary duty to truth. Mr. Height was scheduled to attend the annual conference to be held in Atlanta in February 2023 and make a presentation on the moral foundation questionnaire. However, the SPSP asks all researchers presenting at the conference whether and how this presentation will achieve the SPSP's goals of equity, inclusion and anti-racism. I have been asked to explain.

Movements for this kind of mandatory statement on diversity are being seen in various academic societies, including

the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) , the Alliance for Academic Freedom (AFA) , and many professors. They argue that these statements are immoral, inappropriate, and sometimes illegal.

“Most scholarship has nothing to do with diversity,” said Heidt, noting that calling for such a statement would encourage scholars to coerce, distort, or fabricate the links between research findings and diversity. It is pointed out that it leads to He said that it violates quasi-fiduciary duty to the truth to create a link to racism for presentation at a conference about research results that were not originally related to racism at all.

Haidt also noted that the SPSP's enforcement of the statement treats people as specific 'groups' rather than 'individuals,' and calls for certain individuals to be favored or disfavored based on their membership. I also see it as a problem. However, even if we try to bring up these issues at SPSP conferences, even the presentations will be criticized for asking whether and how this presentation will achieve the SPSP's goals of equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. An explanation is required as to what it is.

``Even though good scientific research is not necessarily related to political views, anti-racism is the telos of the SPSP, which no longer maintains a single axis of science,'' Haidt said. 'It could force researchers who need to present at academic conferences to betray their quasi-fiduciary responsibility to truth and seek sympathy for an ideology they may not support in their hearts.' From the point of view, I decided that I can no longer continue to join SPSP. 'If the policy of the statement is maintained at future conferences, I intend to leave the SPSP at the end of this year,' he said.

Overseas media Reason pointed out that American universities require a statement of 'Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion / DEI)' for post applications. FIRE and the AFA are concerned with restricting the hiring and promotion of faculty who oppose the general DEI consensus, and pressure them to agree to statements of diversity regardless of their actual beliefs.

Heidt says Reason has received more than 10 supportive emails from other social psychologists and hasn't received much criticism. In addition, left-wing psychologists and researchers who are older than Mr. Haidt, who is 58 years old, have a sense of crisis about the 'Oath of Political Thought' that McCarthyism and the Soviet left wing once forced. He said he agreed. On the other hand, leftists younger than Mr. Height seem to have no resistance to pledging allegiance to a particular political idea.