Posted on 06/28/2017 8:54:00 AM PDT by Academiadotorg
As a teacher, George Mason University economist Walter Williams explained: "I think it's academic dishonesty to use one's classroom to proselytize students, that is…to give students your opinion, and I think it’s dishonest in the sense that it takes advantage of the immature minds of young people who have not gained the maturity and the experience to be able to individually assess things and to come to their own conclusions."
He said that at the orientation for his undergraduate and Ph.D. class, he informs the pupils that if he utters an opinion without the preface "In my opinion," they should immediately inform him that they are not attending the course "'…to be indoctrinated and to be sold your opinions, we took it to learn economic theory.'"
"…I want young people to share my opinion on the moral superiority of limited government and free markets and I think that the best way for me to accomplish this is to teach them to be rigorous hard-minded thinkers," Dr. Williams explained, noting that, "if they become rigorous hard-minded thinkers, I'm very sure that they’ll share my opinions and my values."
You can listen to the entire interview with Dr. Walter E. Williams on The Alex Nitzberg Show.
Alex Nitzberg is a freelance conservative journalist and commentator and the host of “The Alex Nitzberg Show” podcast. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Dr. Williams already understands the moral superiority of his position and how it is underpinned with provable economic facts and theory. All he has to do is to present the material in an understandable way that allows the students to think for themselves and most will arrive at the correct conclusion. It doesn’t require a virtual club of bad grades or in-class embarrassment. The material will stand on its own.
bkmk
It’s fine to give your opinion, as long as you make it clear that that’s what it is. And it’s better if there is a diversity of opinions.
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