The first amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees freedom of speech. As a result, many individuals are under the mistaken impression that everyone has a right to their opinion and that all opinions are equal. This is not the case in my classroom.

My stance against certain opinions is not based on ideological reasons. Rather, I make a distinction between informed and uniformed opinions; those rooted in evidence and those that are not. In an academic setting, we do not deal with feelings. Instead, we deal with facts and logic.

Early in my career, during a discussion being held in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, a student began expounding certain racial theories. When I asked for supporting evidence, his response was, “I have a right to my opinion!” He was not amused when I informed him that we could not consider his opinion unless he could provide his colleagues with supporting evidence. He decided to drop the course.

Several years later, I had a student voice her opinion that I was trying to advance my religion because a course lesson was inspired by the life of Muhammad Iqubal, one of the intellectual founders of Pakistan. After she was informed that I am not a Muslim, she continued to argue that my purpose in teaching Iqubal was to advance my religion. That was her opinion and she was sticking to it.

More recently, I had a student complain about the approach I was taking in one of my courses. When I pointed out that an absentee rate of 33% made it unlikely that he understood the pedagogical basis for the course structure, he informed me that he had a right to complain; that he had a right to his opinion.

Opinions that are not supported by evidence, contradict the evidence, or are determined prior to investigation do not have a place in academic discourse. In my classroom, such opinions are not open to discussion because there is no substance to discuss.

To paraphrase a colleague, it is our job as professors to help students learn that they are not the center of the universe; that things that matter exist outside of their opinion, their history, and their identity. We also need to help them appreciate that it is worth spending time with those things and learning from them. We begin the process of educating our students to have informed opinions by first understanding that we are not the centers of the universe; that things that matter exist outside of our opinion, our history, and our identity. We need to appreciate that it is worth spending time with and learning from these things.

In my classes, I teach authors from a variety of worldviews; many of whom provide perspectives which challenge my thinking. Students are surprised when I mention that one of those authors—an author that I clearly respect—believes that I am going to hell. Although he is sure that I will be damned for eternity, his historical perspective is well argued and worth considering.

I also make sure that I support my opinions with evidence and that my informed opinions are open to debate. For example, during yesterday’s ancient world history course, I presented my case that the birth of freedom begins with the Battle of Thermopylae; earlier than the informed opinion advanced by a documentary I had screened. During the discussion, a student countered my argument by citing evidence concerning the small percentage of Greek citizens who were considered free in 480 BCE. This student—and his colleagues—were not required to agree with my opinion about the birth of freedom, but they did have to respect it and consider it because it was an informed opinion. In the same way, I need to respect and consider the informed opinions of students even when I don’t agree with them.

Although we will always be confronted with those students who would prefer to drop our classes rather than to develop informed opinions, are content to maintain their opinions even when the factual evidence contradicts them, or will persist in advocating opinions prior to investigation, most of our students are open to accepting that there are things that matter that exist outside of their opinion, their history, and their identity; especially if we model the same behavior ourselves.

–Steven L. Berg, PhD

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