American Universities Face Calls for Reform Amid Growing Conservative Criticism

American universities have long strayed from their core mission of providing a liberal education and fostering the pursuit of truth, according to conservative critics. Over the past four decades, institutions have increasingly prioritized progressive orthodoxy over intellectual diversity, leading to censorship, ideological indoctrination, and the exclusion of conservative perspectives.
Recent pro-Hamas protests on campuses, following Hamas' 2023 massacres in Israel, have exposed the depth of dysfunction within higher education. Videos showed students threatening Jewish students and taking over campus buildings, while university administrators often enabled such behavior. These incidents highlighted a toxic mix of antisemitism and anti-Americanism, with many protesters advocating for the overthrow of Israel and the U.S. political system.
Conservative critics argue that universities' exclusion of conservative viewpoints undermines the principles of liberal education. They emphasize the need for viewpoint diversity to ensure that students are exposed to a range of ideas and that progressive orthodoxy is challenged. However, University of Pennsylvania philosophy professor Jennifer Morton recently argued that hiring conservative professors could backfire, citing concerns about narrow-mindedness and the potential for intellectual homogeneity.
Conservatives counter that universities already maintain closed-minded environments that favor progressive ideologies. They argue that introducing conservative perspectives would inject much-needed intellectual rigor and challenge the status quo. Morton's focus on abstract principles, such as Robert Nozick's libertarianism, fails to address the empirical realities and tradeoffs that conservatives often emphasize.
Ultimately, reform of American universities depends on a return to the principles of liberal education, where intellectual excellence is prioritized over political conformity. Until then, the decline of higher education will continue to raise questions about whether the costs of elite education justify the benefits.

Published: 8/2/2025