Jon Haidt on Gen Z and universities; a third of Vic MPs don't do prayer!

Published: Tue, 02/13/24

RSA Daily

For atheists, rationalists and secular humanists in Australia

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Rationale, the magazine of the Rationalist Society of Australia

Good morning ,

Australian universities are not (yet) as craven as (some) American universities but some are going that way. In our Lead Stories, a must watch video of Jonathan Haidt speaking recently about (i) his recent research about the very concerning impact of smart phones on Gen Z - particularly on left-leaning girls, and (ii) the way university leaders are giving in to authoritarian tendencies of their students.

Anyone who is concerned about the way universities are giving in to ideological authoritarianism should watch this. "Identitarianism is completely inconsistent with the mission of the university".

Lead stories

Academia and the Anxious Generation: How Universities Lost the Trust of America with Jonathan Haidt

This is over an hour long but do try to have a look. Haidt presents graphs of the degree to which left-leaning Gen Z girls are demonstrating significantly higher levels of anxiety and self-harm. And talks about the malign influence of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) in American universities. Left-wing identitarianism teaches, "Privileged people have power; power is evil .. the ultimate evil person is the cis-gender, straight, white male .. when you focus on identity, you lose academic excellence."

One-third of members in Victoria's upper house boycotting prayer ritual | Rationalist Society of Australia

People are voting with their feet.

Other stories of interest

It's a lose, lose, lose situation for Trump's 'Divided States of America' - Rationale Magazine

Former RSA vice president Jonathan Meddings: "If Trump wins, everyone else loses. Trump and his cronies have made no secret of their intentions to trample democracy and seek revenge on their detractors from day one. A Trump win raises the possibility of a military coup, should his orders prove a bridge too far for the good men and women of the armed forces."

America's Becoming Less Religious. Is Politics to Blame?

Time magazine: “American Christians concerned about the future of their faith should take warning. Planting your beloved faith in the welcoming soil of partisan politics is like burying your loved one in Stephen King’s Pet Cemetery. What returns is neither living, nor dead, but something else entirely. Potentially the stuff of horror movies."

Climatologist Michael Mann wins defamation case: what it means for scientists

"The verdict could serve as a warning for those who attack researchers in controversial fields, including climate science and public health."

Netherlands: Wilders coalition-building efforts face setback

Got a comment on any of these stories?

Write to me at president@rationalist.com.au