Academic Values and the Possibility of an Academic Impartial Spectator

Abstract

Emily Chamlee-Wright's essay is important and illuminating. She is right that self-censorship is an issue of concern within the academy, she is right that abrasion and civility are both important values with the academy and beyond, and she is right that young scholars need role models to help them successfully navigate academia with those values in mind. Much of what I say here is meant to help strengthen the case Chamlee-Wright makes. I also raise some questions: What sorts of values are abrasion and civility?, How can we trust the "impartial spectator" we develop? How might the way academics are raised affect their impartial spectators? How can we trust role models? Despite having concerns about how these questions should be answered, I am in broad agreement with Chamlee-Wright.