Portland State University has been home to Peter Boghossian, a philosophy professor specializing in critical thinking and ethics, for a decade. However, in a formal resignation letter addressed to Provost Susan Jeffords, Boghossian details his reasons for leaving, citing the university’s shift away from free inquiry and towards what he describes as a “Social Justice factory.” This article delves into Boghossian’s poignant letter, exploring his concerns about the state of higher education and the increasing intolerance of diverse viewpoints within university settings.
Boghossian, known for his courses like “Science and Pseudoscience” and “The Philosophy of Education,” highlights his commitment to fostering rigorous thought and critical analysis among his students. He proudly recounts inviting a diverse array of guest speakers, from Flat-Earthers to climate skeptics, aiming to create an environment where students could engage with challenging ideas, question beliefs respectfully, and ultimately form their own conclusions.
However, Boghossian argues that Portland State University has undergone a transformation that undermines these very principles. In his letter, he asserts that the university has prioritized social justice ideology over intellectual exploration, becoming a place where students are “trained to mimic the moral certainty of ideologues” rather than taught to think critically. He contends that faculty and administrators have abandoned their truth-seeking mission, fostering a culture of intolerance and fear, where open and honest discourse is stifled.
The Erosion of Free Inquiry: Boghossian’s Observations
Boghossian notes that signs of this “illiberalism” emerged early in his tenure at Portland State. He witnessed students’ unwillingness to engage with differing perspectives, the dismissal of challenging questions during diversity trainings, and accusations of microaggressions against those seeking evidence for new policies. Even assigning canonical texts by European male philosophers was deemed an act of bigotry.
Initially, Boghossian believed these were isolated incidents. However, his questions about the efficacy of trigger warnings, the prioritization of racial consciousness, and the concept of “cultural appropriation” led him to realize the systemic nature of the problem. He began studying critical theory, concluding that its tenets were rooted in ideology rather than evidence-based insights.
Facing Retaliation for Questioning the Status Quo
As Boghossian voiced his concerns and engaged with student groups sharing similar anxieties, he faced increasing retaliation. A Title IX investigation, triggered by baseless accusations from a former student, subjected him to a process devoid of due process. Boghossian describes how he was denied access to the accusations, unable to confront his accuser, and left without a proper defense. He recounts disturbing rumors, including allegations of domestic abuse, that circulated during the investigation. Despite being cleared of policy violations, the investigator recommended “coaching” and warned him against expressing opinions on “protected classes,” effectively chilling his academic freedom.
Exposing Academic Absurdity Through Hoaxes
Convinced that flawed scholarship was driving the university’s ideological shift, Boghossian resorted to controversial methods to expose what he perceived as the decline of academic rigor. In 2017, he co-published “The Conceptual Penis as a Social Construct,” a deliberately nonsensical paper arguing that penises were social constructs responsible for climate change. This hoax, published in a peer-reviewed journal, aimed to highlight the flaws within the academic publishing system and the acceptance of ideologically driven, unsubstantiated claims.
Following the exposure of the hoax, Boghossian faced further harassment, including swastikas with his name appearing in university bathrooms and on his office door. The university’s silence in the face of this harassment, contrasted with its actions against Boghossian himself, underscored what he saw as a biased institutional environment.
Undeterred, Boghossian continued his critique by co-publishing a series of absurd and morally repugnant articles in journals focused on race and gender studies in 2018. One paper, for instance, argued for leashing men like dogs to address a supposed epidemic of dog rape in dog parks. These hoaxes, dubbed “grievance studies,” were designed to demonstrate the lack of intellectual rigor in certain academic fields and their prioritization of social grievances over truth-seeking.
Institutional Backlash and Escalating Intolerance
The publication of these hoax papers triggered significant backlash from administrators and faculty. Portland State filed formal charges against Boghossian for “research misconduct,” based on the premise that journal editors were “human subjects” in his hoaxes. He was found guilty of not obtaining approval to experiment on human subjects, further illustrating the university’s hostile stance towards his critiques.
Beyond institutional actions, Boghossian faced escalating intolerance on campus. Public discussions featuring speakers like Christina Hoff Sommers and James Damore were disrupted by protesters, fire alarms were triggered during events, and speaker wires were pulled out to silence dissenting voices. Boghossian claims the university took no action to address this behavior, fostering an environment where free speech was actively suppressed.
A Personal Toll and a Moral Obligation
The cumulative effect of harassment, investigations, and institutional opposition took a significant personal toll on Boghossian. He describes an “increasingly intolerable working life” without the security of tenure. Despite the personal cost, Boghossian frames his resignation as a moral obligation. He emphasizes the importance of defending liberal education and the freedom to question, arguing that Portland State University has failed in this duty.
In his concluding remarks, Boghossian expresses gratitude for his decade at Portland State but asserts that the institution is no longer a place for free thinkers. He resigns, driven by his principles and a commitment to defending liberal education from those he believes are undermining it. Peter Boghossian’s departure from Portland State University serves as a stark commentary on the challenges facing academic freedom and open inquiry in contemporary higher education, sparking a wider conversation about the direction of universities and the values they should uphold.
