Heterodox Out Loud

In this special episode of Heterodox Out Loud , recorded in-person at Heterodox Academy’s 2022 conference in Denver, we speak with Glenn Loury, Professor of the Social Sciences and Economics at Brown University, and John McWhorter, Professor of Linguistics at Columbia University.  John has authored over 20 books on issues of race and language and writes a widely-read biweekly newsletter for the Ne...

In this special episode of Heterodox Out Loud , recorded in-person at Heterodox Academy’s 2022 conference in Denver, we speak with Batya Ungar-Sargon about the declining trust in American journalism, whether trust is warranted at all, and how higher education may be contributing to this growing problem. Our guest is Batya Ungar-Sargon, deputy opinion-editor of Newsweek magazine. Batya is the autho...

In this episode of  Heterodox Out Loud , we explore the history of free speech, how the understanding of it has changed, and the volatile swings in public opinion about this core value.  Our guest is Jacob Mchangama, a Danish lawyer, human-rights advocate, and social commentator. He is the founder and director of Justitia, a Copenhagen-based think tank focusing on human rights, freedom of speech,...

In this episode of Heterodox Out Loud , we look at a deeply counterintuitive claim within the free speech movement in higher education: that mandatory faith statements at universities may actually support and advance academic freedom.  Our guest is Shirley Mullen, who served as president of Houghton College for 15 years, retiring in May of 2021. Prior to becoming Houghton’s president, she served a...

In this episode of Heterodox Out Loud , we’re giving our podcast community a first look at the vital conversations to expect at HxA Conference 2022 in Denver this June, as we host a discussion between two of our conference speakers on the crisis of trust in higher education—a central theme in both our upcoming conference and summer programming. Our guests on the show are Kyle Vitale, HxA’s Directo...

In this special episode of Heterodox Out Loud , we’re sharing excerpts from a personal and wide-ranging interview between Heterodox Academy President, John Tomasi, and philosopher turned podcast host, Zohar Atkins. We hear Tomasi discuss his deep interest in philosophy, how skepticism and faith can be friends, and the challenges he’s faced throughout his career, both as an academic and now as pres...

In this episode of Heterodox Out Loud , we explore the flawed human tendency to reject and censor opposing arguments — especially when they contradict values and beliefs that are held with conviction.  Our guest on the show, Robert George, the sixth McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, explains h...

In this episode of Heterodox Out Loud , we explore a concept revered by many and challenged by few in higher education—the value of diversity. We look beyond the surface of this belief, and consider how different kinds of diversity impact team building, decision making, and collective intelligence.   Our guest on the show is Ravi Kudesia, Assistant Professor at the Fox School of Business at Temple...

On part 1 of this episode of Heterodox Out Loud , we’ll listen to Jonathan Haidt’s edited summary of a seminal academic paper that helped lead to the founding of Heterodox Academy.  The original paper, “ Political Diversity Will Improve Social Psychological Science, ” was published in Behavioral and Brain Sciences in 2015, and was written by Jonathan Haidt, Lee Jussim, Jose Duarte, Jarret Crawford...

On part 2 of this episode of Heterodox Out Loud , we continue exploring how political bias in academia can solidify into orthodoxies that undermine truth-seeking and critical inquiry. We speak with co-author of Political Diversity Will Improve Social Psychological Science , Lee Jussim, Social Psychologist and Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University. Lee has published numerous articles and ed...

On today's episode of Heterodox Out Loud , we explore the possibility that the ongoing crisis of free inquiry and viewpoint diversity in universities is not a sudden aberration, but instead the inevitable outcome of a rigid, top-down university system. From undermining students’ natural curiosity to increasing stress and anxiety, we talk with Dylan Selterman—Social-Personality Psychologist and Ass...

Why do some academic fields have political disparities among professors between 40/100:1 (liberals to conservatives), while other fields have little to no disparity at all? For answers, we talk with John Paul Wright, professor of Criminology at the University of Cincinnati. He explains that the political disparities that exist can be understood if we dive into the research on the development of cr...

On today's episode of Heterodox Out Loud , we explore the now widespread use of diversity, equity, and inclusion statements to hire, recruit, and promote in higher education. Our guest, Alex Small, Professor of Physics at California State Polytechnic University, argues that while inclusion statements are often well-meaning attempts to uplift compassionate teachers and mentors, they may be simply f...

Today’s show is our second episode about Intersectionality , an academic theory that began with important facts but slowly turned into an unhelpful ideology. We sit down with Chris Martin—HxA Co-founder and Psychologist at Oglethorpe University—who argues that Intersectionality can be a valuable tool, but requires those on the political left and right to concede a few critical points.  Chris’s blo...

Today’s episode is all about the purpose of higher education. We sit down with Heterodox Academy’s first president, John Tomasi, to discuss the future of university life and a new value that he thinks should guide us forward. Before joining HxA, John was Romeo Elton 1843 Professor of Natural Theology at Brown University. John’s blog: “ Curiosity U .” Let us know what you think! For comments and qu...

This episode—released one year after the U.S. Capitol Riot—examines the role of the “scholar-activist” and how their good intentions may unintentionally lead to disastrous ends. We sit down and discuss these topics with Appalachian State University professors: Martha McCaughey, Professor of Sociology, and Scott Welsh, Associate Professor of Communication. Martha and Scott’s blog: “ University Prof...

We’re living in difficult times. Our nation is increasingly polarized and our campuses are plagued with distrust and fear. As we move into 2022, we share three blogs that we hope will inspire, ease divisions, and cultivate a sense of wonder and humility. Today’s episode includes Jonathan Haidt’s essay, “ True Diversity Requires Generosity of Spirit ,” Erec Smith’s “ A Rhetoric of Common Values ,”...

Today’s episode examines how we treat our ideological adversaries and how responses to them often come down to a numbers game. We sit down with Christian Gonzalez, a Ph. D. student in political theory at Georgetown University and a Writing Fellow at Heterodox Academy, to discuss a disturbing story about power, human nature, and public discourse. Christian’s Blog: On Social Power Dynamics in Politi...

Are certain ideas inherently dangerous—and when can we reasonably separate a set of ideas from the aggressive tactics of those who push them forward? This week on the Heterodox Out Loud podcast, we’re sitting down with Ian Storey, an associate fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities at Bard College, to explore these important questions, especially as they relate to modern co...

Today’s episode features Pano Kanelos, a university president on a mission to restore civil discourse in higher education. We’ll learn how the campus life he loved so deeply began changing for the worse. Tune in for a conversation about moral leadership, civil discourse, the future of the university, and a radical idea that may upend everything.  Pano’s Blog: The Importance of Learning to Argue Fr...

Today’s episode is about how voices become silenced and when to determine if a free speech crisis exists. We’ll hear the story of Ilana Redstone, a professor who argues that we must go beyond the surface and look at subtle forms of censorship and suppression that exist within higher education. Our topics include free speech, the covid-19 pandemic, and bias in the classroom. Ilana’s Blog: What the...

This episode is about how we explain why bad things happen. We hear the story of Michael Jindra, a cultural anthropologist who challenges the common narrative around health disparities in the United States. Our topics include free will, systemic racism, and personal responsibility. Michael’s blog: Covid, Health Inequality and the Avoidance of Behavioral Explanations. To engage deeper with these id...

On this episode of Heterodox Out Loud, we venture into the mind of James Madison, one of the most insightful political thinkers in American history. We learn how his wisdom can help solve many of the issues facing higher education.    The blog, “ Heterodox Academicians, Make Madison Your Model ” was written by Jonathan Rauch, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He’s the author of eight b...

With rising concerns around COVID-19 misinformation, election fraud claims, hate speech online and on-campus, many argue that traditional arguments for free speech are no longer sustainable. Today’s blog, Mill Still Matters Today , is a defense of the values of John Stuart Mill — the most influential English language philosopher of the 19th century. His robust defense of personal liberty and free...

Many K-12 schools across the United States are facing criticism for demonstrating a bias toward left-leaning sociopolitics, while others feel schools are not doing enough. Today’s episode makes the case for viewpoint diversity in K-12 education and the importance of teaching the skills of respectful discourse, regardless of one’s ideological stance. Today’s blog, Why K-12 Needs Viewpoint Diversity...