Published in late July by Post Hill Press, "The War on Science: Thirty-Nine Renowned Scientists and Scholars Speak Out About Current Threats to Free Speech, Open Inquiry, and the Scientific Process," edited by Lawrence M. Krauss, is a crucial new book sounding the alarm on ideological constraints facing science in Western societies. This analytical review examines its key arguments and potential impact.This collection of essays brings together prominent researchers from diverse fields to detail the ongoing efforts to impose ideological restrictions on science and research within Western institutions. The book is strategically divided into sections addressing critical issues including: free speech; victimhood and ideology; the ideological corruption of academic disciplines; cancel culture; the impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies; the intersection of sex, race, ideology, and science; and finally, actionable steps forward.
These issues collectively highlight deep concerns about an ongoing “war on science” and reason. From attacks on merit-based hiring to the policing of language and the replacement of established scholarly research with ideological slogans, science and research are under threat across Western institutions. As this diverse group of researchers, spanning various disciplines and political orientations, makes clear, the very future of free scientific inquiry and scientific advancement is at stake.
Many who have opposed this threat have lost their positions, fostering a climate of fear that strikes at the heart of modern education and scientific research. By finally uniting to speak out, this courageous and unprecedented group of scholars issues a clear call for change.
The book’s exploration of topics like free speech, victimhood, ideology, corruption within academic disciplines, cancel culture, DEI initiatives, sex, race, and practical solutions offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges. Higher education is no longer what it once was. Cancel culture and the emphasis on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have silenced many.
The collection of essays addresses the significant threats facing open research, free speech, and the scientific process itself. Western universities and scientific institutions can no longer be taken for granted as spaces that encourage the free and open exchange of ideas and enable scientific progress unhindered by ideological constraints. Faculty members, even those with tenure, have lost their jobs or faced censorship for their speech or writings. Students fear asking questions in classrooms, and are often encouraged by their universities to report language they find offensive.
Universities have created massive bureaucracies, often under the guise of so-called Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, that are accountable to no one and monitor behavior and language. Even asking questions about differences, ranging from biological sex to group achievement gaps, is often prohibited. This book provides a vital analysis of these trends and offers potential pathways to defend scientific integrity and intellectual freedom.
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Written by Noor Eleslam
