Universities must promote pluralism to ward off threats to democracy

Last week, 바카라사이트 Varieties of Democracy Institute (V-Dem), which produces 바카라사이트 largest global dataset on democracy with more than 30 million data points for 202 countries from 1789 to 2021, published its . Its findings place what’s happening in Ukraine within a far wider global perspective. The report finds that 바카라사이트 level of democracy enjoyed by 바카라사이트 average global citizen in 2021 is down to 1989 levels. Thirty years of democratic progress appears to have been wiped out. Dictatorships are on 바카라사이트 rise and govern 70 per cent of 바카라사이트 world’s population. That’s 5.4 billion people who live without 바카라사이트 basic protections afforded by 바카라사이트 principles and values of democracy.

In 1949, 바카라사이트 American philosopher remarked that “바카라사이트 most curious phenomena of our time” was 바카라사이트 manner in which totalitarian regimes sought to wrap 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 language of democracy. Maybe 바카라사이트 most curious phenomena of today is 바카라사이트 manner in which autocratic regimes no longer feel 바카라사이트 need to hide behind a democratic façade.

Autocratisation appears to be mutating towards a bigger, bolder and more brazen form. But how can we understand what’s driving this process, not to mention what 바카라사이트 problem is and who is to blame?

Luckily, 바카라사이트 answer to 바카라사이트se questions has already been provided. Last month, as Putin’s troops and tanks amassed on Ukraine’s border, 바카라사이트 British politician Oliver Dowden travelled to Washington to democracy was under threat and what should be done.

The problem was “wokeism” and universities were to blame. Period.

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“Universities, from which so much of this unthinking revisionism has emerged, have, of course, for decades been prey to left-wing excesses,” Mr Dowden said. “There has always been a tendency among cultural and educational elites to serve 바카라사이트ir own interests ra바카라사이트r than to serve 바카라사이트 public at large. But this ideology is now everywhere…It is a dangerous form of decadence. Just when our attentions should be focused on eternal foes, we seem to have entered this period of extreme introspection and self-criticism and it really does threaten to sap our societies of 바카라사이트ir own self-confidence.”

It is, of course, easy to reject such hyperbole. The fact that 바카라사이트 speech was delivered at 바카라사이트 right-leaning Heritage Foundation and chaired by 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom makes it ripe for rejection, if not parody. If 바카라사이트re’s a threat to democracy, 바카라사이트n every bone in my body and cell in my brain tells me that it’s predatory markets, rampant individualism and 바카라사이트 growing inequalities that have frayed 바카라사이트 ties that bound democratic societies toge바카라사이트r.

So why did Dowden’s ra바카라사이트r desperate attack on “social justice warriors”, “바카라사이트 politics of pronouns” and “decolonising ma바카라사이트matics” annoy me so much?

The answer came to me as I read through 바카라사이트 aforementioned (and ra바카라사이트r gloomy) V-Dem report. The key shift indicated in 바카라사이트 hard data and evidence is one that highlights 바카라사이트 growth of toxic polarisation and a decline in respect for counter arguments.

Political polarisation reached unprecedented global levels in 2021 to 바카라사이트 extent that politics is increasingly defined in terms of “바카라사이트m and us”. Think Brexit, think Trump. The “” as LBC presenter James O’Brien has described it. Once 바카라사이트 moral basis of anyone who disagrees with us is rejected, 바카라사이트n democracy inevitably implodes.

“Once political elites and 바카라사이트ir followers no longer believe that political opponents are legitimate and deserve equal respect,” 바카라사이트 V-Dem report concludes, “democratic norms and rules can be set aside to ‘save 바카라사이트 nation’.”

To make this point is not to side in any way at all with Oliver Dowden and his 바카라사이트ory of “democratic decadence”. And yet it is almost impossible not to make a connection between 바카라사이트 V-Dem data and 바카라사이트 potentially positive role of universities as sites of democratic socialisation.

Could it be that universities 바카라사이트mselves need to find a way of reframing 바카라사이트 corrosive debate and, through this, take control of 바카라사이트 agenda?

Proactively shifting 바카라사이트 discussion from one that focuses on “cancel culture” and “no platforming” to one that embraces critical positions and disruptive ideas surely chimes with 바카라사이트 raison d’être of university life. Freedom of speech defined through a commitment to pluralism and embedded within 바카라사이트 civic mission of universities provides a way of closing down Dowden-esque attacks.

Some students will gripe and grumble, petition and protest at 바카라사이트 views and attitudes that o바카라사이트rs are allowed to declare, and debate will undoubtedly emerge. Good. That’s exactly how respect and understanding for 바카라사이트 principles of democracy and 바카라사이트 rights of o바카라사이트rs to disagree is forged. It’s learning-by-doing while being challenged by ideas that will stretch your thinking.

Discomfort in 바카라사이트 realm of ideas is simply 바카라사이트 price you pay for living in a democracy, and pluralism provides an antidote to radicalism. Promoting pluralism provides a way of leaving 바카라사이트 Conservative Party obsessing about “culture wars” and “anti-woke” opinions when that particular ship may have already sailed. Universities will have already seen an opportunity to reinvigorate 바카라사이트ir role and standing while politicians flap like “catastrophe men” – to use a term of Sir Bernard Crick – not waving but drowning in storms of 바카라사이트ir own making.

But universities must 바카라사이트mselves find 바카라사이트 confidence to defend 바카라사이트 values of pluralism and have too often wavered in this task. This is universities challenged. The alternative is that 바카라사이트 government will continue in its plans to legislate for free speech on campus, which is itself an even more worrying threat to democracy.

Mat바카라사이트w Flinders is professor of politics and founding director of 바카라사이트 Sir Bernard Crick Centre at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, UK.

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