From Wokeness to Pluralism: A New Vision for Universities with Eboo Patel | Ep 24

Heterodox Out Loud

What new vision can pluralism bring to today’s universities? Today, founder of Interfaith America Eboo Patel, joins John to discuss how pluralism can be a guiding principle in transforming higher education away from rigid ideological confines towards a more inclusive and dynamic intellectual space.

Eboo shares his journey to understanding pluralism. He views pluralism as a way to embrace one’s identity while valuing others and notes that the approach to anti-racism in some universities is shifting from helpful to controlling. Ebo believes that pluralism can balance extreme views by fostering intellectual diversity and respectful dialogue. He also suggests ways to create "Pluralist Universities," such as starting pluralism fellowships, doing research for future diversity needs, and developing a liberal arts curriculum that reflects a diverse society.

In This Episode:

• Evolution of anti-racism from perspective to paradigm to coercive regime
• Personal narratives and pluralism at the Nantucket Project
• Pluralism as navigating between "wokeness" and "whitewashing"
• Implementation of pluralism in universities
• Historical roots and modern applications of pluralism
• Roles of intellectual, identity, values, and agonistic pluralism in higher education
• Critique of overemphasis on victimhood in diversity discussions

For further reading, refer to Eboo Patel's co-authored article with Rebecca Russo on pluralism practices at universities.

About Eboo:

Eboo Patel is a civic leader who believes that religious diversity is an essential and inspiring dimension of American democracy. Named “one of America’s best leaders” by U.S. News and World Report, Eboo is the Founder and President of Interfaith America, the leading interfaith organization in the United States. Under his leadership, Interfaith America has worked with governments, universities, private companies, and civic organizations to make faith a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division.

Eboo served on President Obama’s Inaugural Faith Council, has given hundreds of keynote addresses, and has written five books, including We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy. He is an Ashoka Fellow and holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship. Eboo lives in Chicago with his wife, Shehnaz, and their two sons.

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