Just the Facts | Inquisitive Issue #6 "Limits"
The blog reviews "The Weaponization of Expertise" by Rutgers professors Jacob Russell and Dennis Patterson, which argues that elite experts frequently disguise political judgments as neutral facts, especially evident in COVID‑19 shutdown policies. It highlights the case of an Illinois tavern owner defying pandemic orders as a symptom of broader populist pushback against expert overreach. The authors contend that facts are value‑laden and that humility, not technocratic authority, should guide policymaking. The review situates the book among recent critiques of expert failures during the pandemic.
Trust in Universities Isn’t Just About Cost. It’s Also About Climate.
A new Inside Higher Ed survey shows just over half of college presidents have launched initiatives to rebuild public trust, with public universities 11 points more likely than private ones to act. While most efforts focus on tuition affordability and...
Pushing Past Limits | Inquisitive Issue #6 "Limits"
The latest issue of inquisitive, titled “Limits,” examines how various limits shape higher education, from self‑imposed constraints on heterodoxy to institutional trust deficits. Essays by Tony Banout and Abhishek Saha discuss paradoxical limits to dissent and argue for safeguarding academic...