William F. Buckley on the Inculcated and the Inculcators

Over the course of this year, the centenary of William F. Buckley’s birth, we will republish an article by him weekly. In this column, WFB argues that the universities of his day were centers of conformity, belying their masters’ supposed commitment to giving opposing viewpoints a hearing.

The victim of skillful inculcation not only comes out thinking what the inculcator wants him to think, but is altogether positive that he has arrived at his position by independent intellectual exertion. Such a man is, predictably, outraged at the suggestion that he is a flesh-and-blood tribute to the success of his indoctrinators, and gets really sore when you cite his yelps of protest as still additional evidence of how good a job was done on him.

About the Author

William F. Buckley Jr.

William F. Buckley Jr. founded National Review magazine in 1955.

Over the course of this year, the centenary of William F. Buckley’s birth, we will republish an article by him weekly. In this column, WFB argues that the universities of his day were centers of conformity, belying their masters’ supposed commitment to giving opposing viewpoints a hearing.

The victim of skillful inculcation not only comes out thinking what the inculcator wants him to think, but is altogether positive that he has arrived at his position by independent intellectual exertion. Such a man is, predictably, outraged at the suggestion that he is a flesh-and-blood tribute to the success of his indoctrinators, and gets really sore when you cite his yelps of protest as still additional evidence of how good a job was done on him.