6.0288 Rs: Politics, Cheney, and the NEH (4/62)
Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Sun, 11 Oct 1992 21:53:45 EDT
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 6, No. 0288. Sunday, 11 Oct 1992.
(1) Date: Wed, 07 Oct 92 17:05:30 EDT (22 lines)
From: Stephen Clausing <SCLAUS@YALEVM>
Subject: politics in the classroom
(2) Date: 07 Oct 1992 18:22:53 -0600 (MDT) (9 lines)
From: OCRAMER@CCNODE.Colorado.EDU
Subject: Re: 6.0281 Politics and the NEH (5/97)
(3) Date: Thu, 8 Oct 92 00:06:15 GMT (13 lines)
From: "C. David Frankel" <D7BAIAD@CFRVM>
Subject: 6.0281 Politics and the NEH (5/97)
(4) Date: Thu, 08 Oct 92 16:46:41 EDT (18 lines)
From: Dennis Dolasinski <NEHOPA@GWUVM>
Subject: Lynne Cheney's report
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 07 Oct 92 17:05:30 EDT
From: Stephen Clausing <SCLAUS@YALEVM>
Subject: politics in the classroom
I haven't read the Cheney report but I would probably agree with her if I did.
There is such as thing as politically biased teaching. When I was a graduate
student in Wisconsin, a very Marxist kind of place at the time, I was told
that objectivity was a bourgeois concept used to deny Marxist thinkers the
right to express their opinion. In essence, the Marxists said that no one is
objective therefore I can foist my political views on anybody since in effect
it is impossible not to do this. A neat argument, but it justifies any
doctrine including sloppy scholarship. Frankly, I thought this idea died with
with Berlin wall, but maybe not. The real question is whether politics is
appropriate to the course material and whether it is presented in a reasonably
unbiased manner in a open atmosphere conducive to contrary views. This is not
an absolute, it is a goal, and it is a difficult goal to achieve. I offer
this challenge to all teachers: if you asked your students at the end of the
semester which candidate you voted for on Nov. 3, could they give you the
correct answer? If so, how do they know this? Was it absolutely necessary
for them to know this? Does the course description state that the class will
be about 18th century rationalist thought and your political views? I hope this
is what Cheney is saying, because it needs to be said.
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------21----
Date: 07 Oct 1992 18:22:53 -0600 (MDT)
From: OCRAMER@CCNODE.Colorado.EDU
Subject: Re: 6.0281 Politics and the NEH (5/97)
UT/Austin does remind us of the Homer Rainey fight; and also in a
later generation of John Silber's summary dismissal as dean by a
Board of Regents run for LBJ. (Silber of course emerged
triumphand at Boston U.)
Owen Cramer, Colorado College
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------20----
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 92 00:06:15 GMT
From: "C. David Frankel" <D7BAIAD@CFRVM>
Subject: 6.0281 Politics and the NEH (5/97)
The most recent edition of _Lingua Franca_ has some interesting articles that
address, both directly and indirectly, Lynn Cheney, politics in academe (both
in and out of the classroom), and other related issues.
|
C. David Frankel_________ Phone: 904-588-8395
Assoc. Prof. of Theatre__ BITNET: D7DBAIAD@CFRVM
Saint Leo College________ INTERNET: D7BAIAD@CFRVM.CFR.USF.EDU
(4) --------------------------------------------------------------25----
Date: Thu, 08 Oct 92 16:46:41 EDT
From: Dennis Dolasinski <NEHOPA@GWUVM>
Subject: Lynne Cheney's report
The NEH Office of Publications and Public Affairs is currently preparing
an electronic version of Lynne Cheney's report, * Telling the Truth *.
We hope to provide a posting to HUMANIST next week. In the meantime,
hard copies of the report may be requested by contacting the Office of
Publications and Public Affairs at NEHOPA@GWUVM.GWU.EDU or at
(202) 606-8438. Staff members in other NEH divisions may be contacted
through e-mail at the following addresses:
Division of Education NEHEDU@GWUVM
Division of Fellowships and Seminars NEHFELL@GWUVM
Office of Grants NEHGRANT@GWUVM
Division of Preservation and Access NEHPRES@GWUVM
Division of Public Programs NEHPUB@GWUVM
Division of Research NEHRES@GWUVM