Word: moralizers
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...Moral indignation against the war in Vietnam is so justified that when, a year ago, hundreds of students violated a University rule in their demonstration against Dow, many professors did all they could to put that incident into its context and to prevent excessive punishment. Moreover, the Dow affair had largely resulted from, and was pointing to, the inadequacy of channels in which students and professors together could discuss issues of public policy involving the University. But I do not believe that the sit-in of last Thursday, which led to the cancellation of the Faculty meeting, can be defended...
...debate on ROTC had been long and thorough--by contrast with the discussion of Dow's visit last Fall. It had revealed sharp divisions among students as well as professors. There were respectable moral convictions on all sides, and even among those who, like myself, feel that a University is not the proper place for military preparation there were divergences over the answer to the problem. One does not have to be a moral relativist, pace Professor Putnam, in order to want to weigh arguments and take note of the legitimate concerns even of those whose point of view...
...organizations composed exclusively or largely of student representatives had come out with similar recommendations that did not endorse the SDS position, the sit-in could only be interpreted as an attempt to impose by pressure what was not obtainable by free and rational discussion. This is a form of moral absolutism that amounts to intolerable political tryanny. Majority rule has its flaws, and I have heard ad nauseam the argument that moral issues cannot be settled by majority decisions. But what was at stake was public policy--which entails a judgment on different moral stands and a consideration of multiple...
...their impotence nor their indifference, that the sit-in is indefensible--not because the target happened to be us, the professors, instead of Dow. That these points should have to be explained to one's students is normal--I have learned enough from them, especially in the realm of moral concern and idealistic commitment, to insist in return, without condescension, that they learn some essional distinctions without which they will not be responsible citizens or even effective radicals. That one should have to teach these distinctions to a philosopher-colleague is more baffling...
Does this mean that the Faculty is blameless? Certainly not. In recent days, the moral self-righteousness of the students who decided to sit in had probably been reenforced by the elusive wording of the CEP resolution, which lent itself to misinterpretation--not only by those who ware anyhow suspicious of any solution less simple than their own. The CEP text, I believe, was too clever by half in its wording; yet it could have been clarified and improved if the Faculty had been able to hold a normal meeting, just as we could have discussed the holding of open...