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Standing for Reason: The University in a Dogmatic Age
A powerful case for the importance of universities as an antidote to the “secular dogmatism” that increasingly infects political discourse
John Sexton argues that over six decades, a “secular dogmatism,” impenetrable by dialogue or reason, has come to dominate political discourse in America. Political positions, elevated to the status of doctrinal truths, now simply are “revealed.” Our leaders and our citizens suffer from an allergy to nuance and complexity, and the enterprise of thought is in danger. Sexton sees our universities, the engines of knowledge and stewards of thought, as the antidote, and he describes the policies university leaders must embrace if their institutions are to serve this role. Acknowledging the reality of our increasingly interconnected world—and drawing on his experience as president of New York University when it opened campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai—Sexton advocates for “global network universities” as a core aspect of a new educational landscape and as the crucial foundation-blocks of an interlocking world characterized by “secular ecumenism.”
John Sexton argues that over six decades, a “secular dogmatism,” impenetrable by dialogue or reason, has come to dominate political discourse in America. Political positions, elevated to the status of doctrinal truths, now simply are “revealed.” Our leaders and our citizens suffer from an allergy to nuance and complexity, and the enterprise of thought is in danger. Sexton sees our universities, the engines of knowledge and stewards of thought, as the antidote, and he describes the policies university leaders must embrace if their institutions are to serve this role. Acknowledging the reality of our increasingly interconnected world—and drawing on his experience as president of New York University when it opened campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai—Sexton advocates for “global network universities” as a core aspect of a new educational landscape and as the crucial foundation-blocks of an interlocking world characterized by “secular ecumenism.”
- GenresPhilosophyNonfiction
240 pages, Hardcover
Published April 16, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 15, 2025
Larger-than-life man who built an institution with a vision for others to thrive in it. There's a lot of criticism towards the global university he's made of NYU. I think his main point here is 'yes, come and build a better one, be my guest, yallah let's go'. What a G.
September 19, 2019
The title of John Sexton's book, "Standing for Reason: The University in a Dogmatic Age" is noble in its intention and ambitious in its message. Ultimately, and this is only natural given the author's 14 years as President of the University, it is very New York University-centric. I have followed Sexton and his initiatives over the last 10 years. Working in international education for nearly 20 years, I was intrigued by what he envisioned and proposed. I commend him for that; and for writing this book, although I do not agree with everything he presents.
He starts out briefly describing his commitment to dialog, forged in the rhetorical furnaces of debating clubs and gatherings during his youth. He makes a strong case for creating dialog and conversations with those who hold different views than we do, but I think he is speaking to the narrower academic field rather than the overall populace. How successful would his arguments be with a rural farmer who has no college education? Or a populist politician?
Coupled with his Catholic upbringing, Sexton's view is made stronger with its ecumenical dedication. This is good, but as he uses New York University as an example of how a university can combat secular dogmatism, he drifts away from his universalist/ecumenical arguments.
Not many universities have the resources that NYU has. At one point he noted that over the last 15 years NYU has raised $1 million a day for 365 days. This provides the finances to motivate a university to pursue the noble goals that Sexton extols. Together with NYU's "locational endowment" (a term coined by the author that refers to the "concentration of mind [talent] and matter [infrastructure], an entrepreneurial spirit, and embrace of complexity and openness, a connection to the world beyond walls"), the university is ideally suited to become much more than an idea capital. Part of the noble goals that Sexton invokes involve creating global campuses and he writes about the NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai campuses. He even speaks about one NYU student who spent 5 semesters abroad in different locations. This is wonderful, but not many students are able to pull this feat off. Sexton describes the competitive nature of the NYU portal campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai and how they are part of the establishment of a circulatory flow and global network university. He defends this by addressing some of the criticisms these initiatives have attracted. He resents that some critics have attacked the ventures as a form of intellectual imperialism. For the most part, his argument is reasoned and effective. I would not say that it is an issue of intellectual imperialism, but rather intellectual classism or American expansion. Only the best of the best, or the most money can attend these portal campuses. And for me, it is not colonialism, but a form of expansion of an American view of higher education. At the moment there are no branch campuses in the US from international universities. Until that happens, Sexton cannot avoid the "imperialism" label.
To be fair, Sexton spend time talking about the criticism NYU received for not properly compensating the workers who constructed the NYU Abu Dhabi campus (https://www.theatlantic.com/education...). However, he did not employ a study abroad solidarity as he lauded the concept of "cosmopolitanism". He either was unaware of or chose to ignore the case of Matthew Hedges, the British national who was arrested by Emirati officials who accused him of spying while he was conducting research in the country (https://www.theatlantic.com/internati...). If Sexton truly embraced the concept of global citizenship and cosmopolitanism, he would have suspended classes at the NYU Abu Dhabi portal as a show of solidarity with Hedges. But it seems Sexton was not willing to go that far. It would not do to upset wealthy partners. Even though he says that "Education is not a commodity", it is and the presence of the NYU portals in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi speak to that.
The latter part of the book is well thought-out. However, my sense is at the beginning he was a bit rushed. For example, in acknowledging the current situation on many US campuses where controversial speakers are disinvited and left-wing thinking and opinions are valued over those who have other views, he contradicts himself. He cites Carol Gilligan (an NYU professor) and her idea of "radical listening: a true desire to learn from the experience of others and to discover what they know. It is the kind of listening that leaders of universities must cultivate more intentionally (p. 31). But then three pages later he writes, "The burden is on the speaker to communicate to the listener, not the listener to discern the meaning of the words only as the speaker intended them."
In the final few pages of his book, Sexton tackles the topic du jour for many students and professionals in higher education. Citing several books and reports he is essentially saying that the student debt crisis is "not as bad as we think." In fact at some points it appears he is speaking down from the upper echelons of higher education. In defending the high cost of university tuition, he writes, "It serves no purpose to entice everyone into college and it is subversive to dilute the content of college degrees so that the recipients of that degree can be counted as graduates in a politically inspired statistical contest." While he is correct in this assertion, he should be a bit more weary of how his own institution fits into this statement. One quick look at Open Doors, an annual report from the Institute of International Education following international mobility of American and international students, shows that NYU is at the top of the list, sending the most students abroad during the 2016-2017 year (https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insi...). Impressive. But beyond statistical data, what does this really mean? Several years ago when I served as resident director in Havana, Cuba, I learned that a number of NYU students were placed in the intermediate-level Spanish class that my students were taking at the Universidad de La Habana. The NYU students had not experience with Spanish and as a result the professor had to modify the class to assist them, negatively impacting my students. I am sure Mr. Sexton would agree with me that this is not how a "global network university" should operate, nor how its students should be elevated to a certain status because of the pedigree of their home institution.
International education is a wonderful thing, but a one-size fits all model is not necessarily the best option. I applaud NYU's programs in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. They certainly do represent the anti-secular-dogmatic global idealism that Sexton writes so passionately about. But they are models that are simply beyond the realm of many US colleges and universities. The audience to whom Mr. Sexton directs this book works in higher education; it is just that they are in a different class than the rest of us.
He starts out briefly describing his commitment to dialog, forged in the rhetorical furnaces of debating clubs and gatherings during his youth. He makes a strong case for creating dialog and conversations with those who hold different views than we do, but I think he is speaking to the narrower academic field rather than the overall populace. How successful would his arguments be with a rural farmer who has no college education? Or a populist politician?
Coupled with his Catholic upbringing, Sexton's view is made stronger with its ecumenical dedication. This is good, but as he uses New York University as an example of how a university can combat secular dogmatism, he drifts away from his universalist/ecumenical arguments.
Not many universities have the resources that NYU has. At one point he noted that over the last 15 years NYU has raised $1 million a day for 365 days. This provides the finances to motivate a university to pursue the noble goals that Sexton extols. Together with NYU's "locational endowment" (a term coined by the author that refers to the "concentration of mind [talent] and matter [infrastructure], an entrepreneurial spirit, and embrace of complexity and openness, a connection to the world beyond walls"), the university is ideally suited to become much more than an idea capital. Part of the noble goals that Sexton invokes involve creating global campuses and he writes about the NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai campuses. He even speaks about one NYU student who spent 5 semesters abroad in different locations. This is wonderful, but not many students are able to pull this feat off. Sexton describes the competitive nature of the NYU portal campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai and how they are part of the establishment of a circulatory flow and global network university. He defends this by addressing some of the criticisms these initiatives have attracted. He resents that some critics have attacked the ventures as a form of intellectual imperialism. For the most part, his argument is reasoned and effective. I would not say that it is an issue of intellectual imperialism, but rather intellectual classism or American expansion. Only the best of the best, or the most money can attend these portal campuses. And for me, it is not colonialism, but a form of expansion of an American view of higher education. At the moment there are no branch campuses in the US from international universities. Until that happens, Sexton cannot avoid the "imperialism" label.
To be fair, Sexton spend time talking about the criticism NYU received for not properly compensating the workers who constructed the NYU Abu Dhabi campus (https://www.theatlantic.com/education...). However, he did not employ a study abroad solidarity as he lauded the concept of "cosmopolitanism". He either was unaware of or chose to ignore the case of Matthew Hedges, the British national who was arrested by Emirati officials who accused him of spying while he was conducting research in the country (https://www.theatlantic.com/internati...). If Sexton truly embraced the concept of global citizenship and cosmopolitanism, he would have suspended classes at the NYU Abu Dhabi portal as a show of solidarity with Hedges. But it seems Sexton was not willing to go that far. It would not do to upset wealthy partners. Even though he says that "Education is not a commodity", it is and the presence of the NYU portals in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi speak to that.
The latter part of the book is well thought-out. However, my sense is at the beginning he was a bit rushed. For example, in acknowledging the current situation on many US campuses where controversial speakers are disinvited and left-wing thinking and opinions are valued over those who have other views, he contradicts himself. He cites Carol Gilligan (an NYU professor) and her idea of "radical listening: a true desire to learn from the experience of others and to discover what they know. It is the kind of listening that leaders of universities must cultivate more intentionally (p. 31). But then three pages later he writes, "The burden is on the speaker to communicate to the listener, not the listener to discern the meaning of the words only as the speaker intended them."
In the final few pages of his book, Sexton tackles the topic du jour for many students and professionals in higher education. Citing several books and reports he is essentially saying that the student debt crisis is "not as bad as we think." In fact at some points it appears he is speaking down from the upper echelons of higher education. In defending the high cost of university tuition, he writes, "It serves no purpose to entice everyone into college and it is subversive to dilute the content of college degrees so that the recipients of that degree can be counted as graduates in a politically inspired statistical contest." While he is correct in this assertion, he should be a bit more weary of how his own institution fits into this statement. One quick look at Open Doors, an annual report from the Institute of International Education following international mobility of American and international students, shows that NYU is at the top of the list, sending the most students abroad during the 2016-2017 year (https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insi...). Impressive. But beyond statistical data, what does this really mean? Several years ago when I served as resident director in Havana, Cuba, I learned that a number of NYU students were placed in the intermediate-level Spanish class that my students were taking at the Universidad de La Habana. The NYU students had not experience with Spanish and as a result the professor had to modify the class to assist them, negatively impacting my students. I am sure Mr. Sexton would agree with me that this is not how a "global network university" should operate, nor how its students should be elevated to a certain status because of the pedigree of their home institution.
International education is a wonderful thing, but a one-size fits all model is not necessarily the best option. I applaud NYU's programs in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. They certainly do represent the anti-secular-dogmatic global idealism that Sexton writes so passionately about. But they are models that are simply beyond the realm of many US colleges and universities. The audience to whom Mr. Sexton directs this book works in higher education; it is just that they are in a different class than the rest of us.
June 5, 2019
Standing for Reason: The University in a Dogmatic Age by John Sexton argues persuasively for a return to more open debate on campus and, as a result, more nuanced and useful public debate. I read this book in tandem with Religion in the University by Nicholas Wolterstorff and taken together they make a strong and positive case for not just our universities but our currently polarized society.
Sexton's argument is full of very solid points, good research, and success using these ideas. It is laid out in a way that is easy to follow. Part of laying the groundwork is refuting the propaganda that conservatives have been overrun in the university by liberals. Yes, conservatives have decreased in percentage but liberals have not increased. The increase went to those who call themselves moderate. With the current state of what passes for conservatism being so extreme, many of the moderates would likely have been conservative a couple decades ago but hesitate to self-identify as such for fear of being associated with the extremists currently holding the term "conservative" hostage.
The university must return to being a safe place for open and nuanced debate and discussion of just about any topic. Even when it means allowing offensive (to some) speakers on campus. The key, of course, is the context of how they are welcomed to campus. Not a pep rally for an extreme view, regardless of which end of the spectrum. Time for a Q&A and perhaps a rebuttal. Part of a series that includes views all along whatever topic spectrum there is.
At the core of this is what Sexton calls "secular ecumenism." The same concept when used about Christianity, or various religions, but applied to all of the diversity in the world. Diverse people, diverse thoughts, and diverse solutions. These should all be open to critique, debate, and reconsideration. Religion is certainly included here, not in a dogmatic fashion but as a part of what makes society what it is. Only the space for open discourse is sacred, not any specific idea. If you aren't open to critique and discussion about your ideas, whatever they may be, maybe you don't understand your own beliefs and ideas as well as you want others to believe you do.
If more people experience this type of environment during their formative years then it will carry over to the public sphere. Social, cultural, religious, and political conflicts then might be characterized by nuanced and thoughtful debate rather than who can scream loudest, gerrymander the most, or get the most big dollar contributions (with strings attached). The world is getting smaller and we can't keep othering everyone over each and every difference or there will be no group larger than a handful that might be enough alike to care about each other.
I highly recommend this book for those concerned about higher education and/or our toxic polarized society.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
Sexton's argument is full of very solid points, good research, and success using these ideas. It is laid out in a way that is easy to follow. Part of laying the groundwork is refuting the propaganda that conservatives have been overrun in the university by liberals. Yes, conservatives have decreased in percentage but liberals have not increased. The increase went to those who call themselves moderate. With the current state of what passes for conservatism being so extreme, many of the moderates would likely have been conservative a couple decades ago but hesitate to self-identify as such for fear of being associated with the extremists currently holding the term "conservative" hostage.
The university must return to being a safe place for open and nuanced debate and discussion of just about any topic. Even when it means allowing offensive (to some) speakers on campus. The key, of course, is the context of how they are welcomed to campus. Not a pep rally for an extreme view, regardless of which end of the spectrum. Time for a Q&A and perhaps a rebuttal. Part of a series that includes views all along whatever topic spectrum there is.
At the core of this is what Sexton calls "secular ecumenism." The same concept when used about Christianity, or various religions, but applied to all of the diversity in the world. Diverse people, diverse thoughts, and diverse solutions. These should all be open to critique, debate, and reconsideration. Religion is certainly included here, not in a dogmatic fashion but as a part of what makes society what it is. Only the space for open discourse is sacred, not any specific idea. If you aren't open to critique and discussion about your ideas, whatever they may be, maybe you don't understand your own beliefs and ideas as well as you want others to believe you do.
If more people experience this type of environment during their formative years then it will carry over to the public sphere. Social, cultural, religious, and political conflicts then might be characterized by nuanced and thoughtful debate rather than who can scream loudest, gerrymander the most, or get the most big dollar contributions (with strings attached). The world is getting smaller and we can't keep othering everyone over each and every difference or there will be no group larger than a handful that might be enough alike to care about each other.
I highly recommend this book for those concerned about higher education and/or our toxic polarized society.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
July 12, 2022
The former President of NYU, America’s largest private university, has written a fascinating description of the “rampant secular dogmatism” that infects the U. S. and the accompanying political correctness. He proceeds to relate how great universities provide an antidote to this disease and how they can become incubators for a new “secular ecumenism” . Describing how NYU became a world class institution with foreign campuses and international networks, he emphasizes that universities must join a process of offering meaningful access to all talented persons according to their respective capacities. This is a great and hopeful book that deserves a wide readership . Readers will find it to be both informative and deeply enjoyable. Le renard
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kindle
April 21, 2019The author wrote a brilliant book on how to move forward in a society that is so interconnected that they do not want to utilize critical thinking. I found this to be a really informative read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews