# The Chilling Effect of an Attack on a Scholar

**URL:** <https://onscienceandacademia.org/t/the-chilling-effect-of-an-attack-on-a-scholar/760>\
**Category:** Academia\
**Tags:** new-academia, media, politics, social-science, identity-politics\
**Created:** [July 27, 2020, 1:57am UTC](https://onscienceandacademia.org/t/the-chilling-effect-of-an-attack-on-a-scholar/760 "2020-07-27T01:57:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![keithtse](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/onscienceandacademia.org/keithtse/32/224_2.png) [@keithtse](https://onscienceandacademia.org/u/keithtse)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 1:57am UTC](https://onscienceandacademia.org/t/the-chilling-effect-of-an-attack-on-a-scholar/760/1 "2020-07-27T01:57:29Z")

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This is a world famous scholar in my field (Linguistics) who has recently caused some commotion in academia due to his public comments and gestures on social media:

> **[The Chilling Effect of an Attack on a Scholar](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/07/steven-pinker-will-be-just-fine/614323/)**
>
> Steven Pinker will be fine, but a letter from his critics signals less powerful scholars that certain opinions, publicly stated, could result in professional sanction.

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**Author:** ![surya](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/onscienceandacademia.org/surya/32/203_2.png) [@surya](https://onscienceandacademia.org/u/surya)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 6:54am UTC](https://onscienceandacademia.org/t/the-chilling-effect-of-an-attack-on-a-scholar/760/2 "2020-07-27T06:54:58Z")

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thanks @keithtse… i recently read the many opposing views on this… 🙂

> **[Don’t Fall For The 'Cancel Culture' Scam](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cancel-culture-harpers-jk-rowling-scam_n_5f0887b4c5b67a80bc06c95e)**
>
> Anecdotes are not data, free speech is not under attack — and elite journalists should find something else to write about.

Jonathan Rauch (@jon\_rauch) Tweeted: Hey @jessesingal @Yascha\_Mounk, do we need a new term for people who say (1) there’s no threat to free speech and (2) here are things which cannot be legitimately debated? “Cancel culture denialism”? [https://t.co/fnaaREtEDI](https://t.co/fnaaREtEDI) ([https://twitter.com/jon\_rauch/status/1286296306324066305?s=20](https://twitter.com/jon_rauch/status/1286296306324066305?s=20))

> **[Economics and the Culture War | by Robert Skidelsky - Project Syndicate](https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/should-economics-remain-detached-from-culture-by-robert-skidelsky-2020-07)**
>
> Some economists may prefer to concentrate on the current economic situation while standing apart from cultural questions, or to say that the current kerfuffle over "cancel culture" will recede when the economy improves. But this is to abdicate...

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**Author:** ![Fverag](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/onscienceandacademia.org/fverag/32/368_2.png) [@Fverag](https://onscienceandacademia.org/u/Fverag)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 3:13am UTC](https://onscienceandacademia.org/t/the-chilling-effect-of-an-attack-on-a-scholar/760/3 "2020-07-28T03:13:39Z")

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This is certainly a delicate subject that should be discussed with openness and mutual respect. Pinker was actually one of the signatories of the Harper´s letter on open debate. Sharing in case you are interested: [https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/](https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/)

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**Author:** ![surya](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/onscienceandacademia.org/surya/32/203_2.png) [@surya](https://onscienceandacademia.org/u/surya)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 7:06am UTC](https://onscienceandacademia.org/t/the-chilling-effect-of-an-attack-on-a-scholar/760/4 "2020-07-28T07:06:02Z")

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Thanks @Fverag. Thw links i shared discussed the harper’s letter too. 🙂