I would agree that the teacher should have exposed the students to multiple points of view but firing seems an awfully harsh punishment for missing a couple additional sources in a single day's class. something else/more must have been going on.
I love your take on this. Having just finished Jonathan Rauch's "The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth," I recognize what you're doing as precisely what he insists we need more of: not "truth" (what the teacher, convinced of his own righteousness and the righteousness, thought he was delivering to the students), but "truthfulness," which is a process of fidelity to the complexity of the facts, a commitment to getting the facts right, and a modesty about your/our own ability to discern the truth at every and all moments. Viewpoint diversity requires tolerance (remember that word?!), a willingness to dialogue and ask hard questions, especially in those moments where we're tempted to pounce. Twitter-world is driven by quick, righteous takes--the quicker and more righteous the better, apparently. I admire the fact that you're asking us to back off the throttle, exert a little more due diligence, and give the truthtelling process a chance to do its work. You've opened up a space for conversation. That's a good thing, except for those who are always already convinced they're in possession of the truth.
I would agree that the teacher should have exposed the students to multiple points of view but firing seems an awfully harsh punishment for missing a couple additional sources in a single day's class. something else/more must have been going on.
Would you teach the other side of Christianity? The other side of Capitalism? The other side of traditional marriage?
I love your take on this. Having just finished Jonathan Rauch's "The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth," I recognize what you're doing as precisely what he insists we need more of: not "truth" (what the teacher, convinced of his own righteousness and the righteousness, thought he was delivering to the students), but "truthfulness," which is a process of fidelity to the complexity of the facts, a commitment to getting the facts right, and a modesty about your/our own ability to discern the truth at every and all moments. Viewpoint diversity requires tolerance (remember that word?!), a willingness to dialogue and ask hard questions, especially in those moments where we're tempted to pounce. Twitter-world is driven by quick, righteous takes--the quicker and more righteous the better, apparently. I admire the fact that you're asking us to back off the throttle, exert a little more due diligence, and give the truthtelling process a chance to do its work. You've opened up a space for conversation. That's a good thing, except for those who are always already convinced they're in possession of the truth.