S2 Episode 16: Campus Protests and the Divestment Movement with Tyler Austin Harper
Should universities be apolitical in maintaining the free flow of ideas?
In this episode, John Tomasi speaks with Tyler Austin Harper, assistant professor at Bates College and a contributing writer at The Atlantic, about the rising challenges posed by recent campus protests and divestment movements at universities.
They delve into specific instances where these movements have influenced policy changes, discussing the tensions between activism and open inquiry. The conversation highlights recent cases where protests have either stifled or spurred debates about institutional investment ethics and the balance between social justice and academic discourse.
Finally, they discuss the politicization of the humanities, examining how political biases can shape curricula and impact scholarly discourse.
Tyler Austin Harper is a literary scholar working at the intersection of the history of science, philosophy, and environmental studies. His book, “The Paranoid Animal: Human Extinction Before the Bomb,” is under contract with Princeton University Press. It examines how British literary figures, scientists, and social theorists engaged with the concept of human extinction prior to the nuclear age. His scholarly work has been published in Modern Language Quarterly, Science Fiction Studies, Syndicate, and Paradoxa.
Harper is a contributing writer at The Atlantic. His public writing on politics, culture, race, and technology has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Jacobin, and other outlets.
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