BB&T Colloquium Tackles Campus Speech

Is freedom of speech under attack at college campuses with designated safe spaces, free speech zones, trigger warnings and outrage culture? Attorney Greg Lukianoff, president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), explored the question on Sept. 27, 2016, at the BB&T Colloquium on Capitalism, Ethics and Leadership at the Smith School.

“We rely on our universities to be the engines of intellectual innovation, but it’s really hard to innovate if you’re afraid to open your mouth,” said Lukianoff, author of “Freedom from Speech” and “Unlearning Liberty,” and co-author of “The Coddling of the American Mind” in The Atlantic.

Lukianoff cited a 2010 study from the American Association of Colleges and Universities, which shows that only 30 percent of U.S. college seniors and 17 percent of professors think it’s safe to hold unpopular opinions on campus. “It is now very radical listening to people who disagree with you,” he said.

Smith professor Rajshree Agarwal, director of the school’s Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets, moderated the discussion. She said business schools usually focus on the exchange of products and services, but many of the same principles apply in the marketplace for ideas.

“Ideas matter,” she said. “What you should have is an active mind. An active mind has opinions but is willing to consider opposing viewpoints.” /DJ/