UHND.com - Notre Dame Football, Basketball, & Recruiting

from an 'amorphous source ;-)...btw, DJT has kicked over enough MAGA rocks that his "Presence" will persist for quite awhile.
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AI Overview

It is a subject of ongoing debate whether higher education is "naturally" progressive, but there are strong arguments and evidence suggesting a significant correlation. The relationship stems from both the inherent nature of academia and the self-selection of individuals into educational paths.

Arguments for Higher Education Being Inherently Progressive

Several factors suggest an intrinsic link between higher education and progressive viewpoints:

Critical Thinking and Questioning: The core mission of universities, since medieval times, has been to foster inquiry, challenge assumptions, and question authority and tradition. This process of critical analysis aligns closely with a progressive mindset that seeks change and innovation rather than adhering strictly to established norms.

Exposure to Diversity: Universities are environments that bring together people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. Exposure to this diversity often fosters greater social tolerance and a more inclusive worldview, which are key components of progressive ideology.

Focus on Research and Science: Academic culture is heavily driven by secular, scientific inquiry. This emphasis on data, evidence, and evolving knowledge can conflict with more traditional, faith-based, or non-scientific viewpoints, pushing the culture toward more liberal outcomes.

The Nature of Young People: Most individuals attend university during their formative young adult years, a life stage naturally associated with questioning authority and exploring new ideas.

The Goals of Progressive Education: The specific philosophy of progressive education, associated with thinkers like John Dewey, explicitly aims to prepare students for active participation in a democratic society through experiential, real-world learning and developing an understanding of their capacity to effect positive social change.

Counterarguments and Nuances

The idea that higher education is naturally progressive is not universally accepted:

Self-Selection: A significant body of research suggests the correlation is largely spurious. People who are already liberal or progressive may be more likely to pursue higher education, particularly graduate studies, in the first place (self-selection), rather than the education itself fundamentally changing their views.

Subject Variation: The extent of progressive leanings varies greatly by discipline. Humanities and social sciences faculty and students tend to be more liberal, while those in fields like business, engineering, or some sciences may be less so or politically balanced.

Institutional Inertia: Some argue that universities, as large, established institutions, are actually quite resistant to significant change due to complex internal structures, displaying an "institutional conservatism" despite many individuals within them identifying as progressive.

Causal Effects: Studies on the causal effect of attending university have found obtaining a degree only has a small direct impact on an individual's attitudes, and the effect is not always liberalizing.

Ultimately, while the faculty and student body in higher education currently lean distinctly progressive in aggregate political identification, this is a complex dynamic driven by a mix of educational philosophy, demographics, cultural factors, and pre-existing inclinations, rather than a simple, inevitable "natural" outcome.
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