Why the West?

One of the most cherished achievements of Western civilization is its tradition of free and open debate. In particular, the university has served, and should of course continue to serve, as a forum for the free exchange of ideas—an exchange in which all opinions, even those that may be unfashionable or unpopular, are welcomed and even encouraged. In this spirit of open inquiry, I appreciate the opportunity to speak here at Stanford on the subject, “Why the West?”

Stanford’s decision of March 31 to alter its Western Culture program was not a product of enlightened debate, but rather an unfortunate capitulation to a campaign of pressure politics and intimidation. For evidence of this, let me briefly turn to the sequence of events as I understand it from press accounts and from individuals at Stanford.

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William J. Bennett

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One of the most cherished achievements of Western civilization is its tradition of free and open debate. In particular, the university has served, and should of course continue to serve, as a forum for the free exchange of ideas—an exchange in which all opinions, even those that may be unfashionable or unpopular, are welcomed and even encouraged. In this spirit of open inquiry, I appreciate the opportunity to speak here at Stanford on the subject, “Why the West?”

Stanford’s decision of March 31 to alter its Western Culture program was not a product of enlightened debate, but rather an unfortunate capitulation to a campaign of pressure politics and intimidation. For evidence of this, let me briefly turn to the sequence of events as I understand it from press accounts and from individuals at Stanford.