SUPPORTING Student Council's latest plan to de-Westernize department curricula is not tenable. Authors in the Western tradition have for too long been neglected by students outside of the philosophy and politics departments. Aristotle, Plato, William Shakespeare, John Locke, John Calvin, Erasmus, de Toqueville, Francis Bacon and many others who make up a rich array of diverse and interesting thought are so infrequently read on the University scene that it seems as though Western thought was first threatened by neglect and now, at this university, by the political will of Student Council. Adding to the curriculum and supporting other cultures is of course a great idea, but as the term "de-Westernization" denotes, this is a reduction. Undermining the Western tradition by forcing students to ignore it in favor of "mind-expansive," post-modern thought signifies a great blow to the prestige and academic integrity of the University.
In a Sept. 20 Cavalier Daily article covering the proposed de-Westernization initiative, Ryan McElveen, chair of Student Council Diversity Initiatives, noted that current courses offered in race theory are not widely taken by conservative students because "it's not coordinated with their viewpoints," implying that conservative students are at best ignorant or intolerant and at worst vehemently racist. This is not an original accusation, and its persistence is so frustrating that many conservatives want to throw out the entire idea of a multicultural curriculum. This is unacceptable as well; we must find a compromise.
First, how can McElveen say that conservative students don't and won't take classes with a non-Western focus? Assuming that all conservative students are not Echols Scholars, parochial conservatives and cosmopolitan liberals alike must fulfill the non-Western perspectives requirement before graduation. To this end, students take rich classes in history, English, politics, religion and several other departments. Students most certainly benefit from this requirement. Nonetheless, forcing non-Western classes on the student population suggests a mission towards all-encompassing toleration and, even more significant, insufficient examination and reflection on the principles that governed the founding of our nation. This mission is not acceptable. The ideals of America didn't grow in a vacuum; indeed, they are products of the Western tradition and in so far as they are going to continue we must stress education in Western liberal thought.
Besides, McElveen raises a stunningly general and false claim by supposing that conservative students neglect the outside world in thought and in practice. Gregory Hays, a professor and director of graduate study in the classics department, wisely notes that de-Westernization "points to a stripping-away of knowledge, art and thought that is implicitly regarded as worthless at best, or actively wicked at worst, rather than an enrichment of the current curriculum by new perspectives and new materials of study."A more tenable solution to globalizing student's consciousness then is perhaps found in expanding the non-Western perspective requirement to two or three courses, not to undermine the autonomy professors have over their syllabi or deprive students of worthwhile and foundational texts.
McElveen's further claim, that as a Southern school, the University must adopt a global curriculum to remain competitive, requires a second look. Last time I poked around, according to The Princeton Review, the University rejects more than 60 percent of its applicants, including thousands of out-of-state students. This university doesn't exactly run the risk of falling out of favor for any reason, especially because of its current curriculum. As a research institution, there are master's degree students and Ph.D. candidates who do fascinating work on subjects that are decidedly non-Western. For undergraduate students, exposure to different cultures through student interaction, course load and the variety of offered majors makes it possible to say that the University is thoroughly committed to a global perspective, while respectfully upholding the uniqueness of Western thought.
In order to preserve the noble traditions of Western civilization students must be encouraged to think on the great founders of this tradition. Multiculturalism is a fine principle and we need to be reminded of it. But it cannot be touted at the cost of our most strongly held beliefs, formulated by wise and cherished authors. The Western tradition has flourished for a reason; it is time that Virginia students get a better grounding in it by learning the classics, reading traditional authors and articulating informed support for the preservation of our unique civilization.
Christa Byker's column usually appears Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at cbyker@cavalierdaily.com.
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