Academic Freedom Under Fire: When Universities Censor Plato

EducationWhen academic freedom doesn’t include Plato | The Gray Area

TL;DR

A Texas A&M philosophy professor resigned after being prohibited from teaching Plato's Symposium under a new university policy restricting classroom discussion of gender and sexual orientation, highlighting the tension between institutional control and academic freedom.

Key Takeaways

1Texas A&M's new board policy bans course content addressing race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity without presidential approval—a restriction that effectively censors core curriculum courses.
2Plato's Symposium was blocked for discussing same-sex relationships as natural and acceptable, despite being a 2,300-year-old philosophical classic.
3Philosophy professor Martin Peterson resigned in protest, arguing that censoring canonical texts undermines the fundamental purpose of universities and academic expertise.
4The policy was politically motivated, driven by the Texas governor's office and implemented by board-appointed regents rather than faculty or academic experts.
5Peterson's concept of 'dissenting compliance'—forcefully objecting while technically complying—offers an alternative to civil disobedience for academics facing censorship.
6Universities that restrict academic freedom risk losing international talent and competitive standing, as scholars seek institutions that protect intellectual inquiry.
7The censorship extends beyond Plato; dozens of courses on race, gender, and sexuality have been canceled or heavily modified, eliminating the university's cultural discourse requirement.

Notable Quotes

“Teaching Plato in the philosophy department can't be something that we should be concerned about. If we end up censoring the classics, someone has been dead for more than 2,300 years, that just makes no sense.”
— Martin Peterson

“How can it be inappropriate to teach Plato in a philosophy class? I teach John Stuart Mill, I teach Aristotle. How could it be a hoax to ask students to read Plato?”
— Martin Peterson

“My job is not to tell them what to think. My job is to help them articulate their views. I almost always disagree with whatever they say. My job is to disagree with students and thereby help them articulate and improve their arguments.”
— Martin Peterson

“I think I am being loyal to the university by criticizing the university. In the long run, this will actually help the university to become a great academic institution.”
— Martin Peterson

Chapters

1. The Controversy Begins

Martin Peterson, a philosophy professor at Texas A&M, was asked to remove Plato's Symposium from his Contemporary Moral Issues syllabus in January 2025 due to a newly adopted university policy restricting discussion of gender and sexual orientation in the classroom.

2. Understanding Plato's Symposium

The text explores the nature of love through speeches by ancient philosophers, including Aristophanes' theory of sexual identities and discussions of same-sex relationships as natural—the exact content the university deemed problematic.

3. The Policy's Origins and Scope

Texas A&M's Board of Regents, appointed by Governor Greg Abbott, implemented the censorship policy following pressure to fire a lecturer teaching children's literature from a gender perspective, affecting hundreds of courses across multiple departments.

4. The Exception Process and Its Limits

While the policy allows non-core courses to seek presidential approval for restricted content, most philosophy courses are core curriculum classes ineligible for exceptions, making the approval process meaningless for Peterson's department.

5. Peterson's Response and Resignation

After replacing Plato with lectures on free speech and academic freedom, Peterson ultimately resigned in protest, accepting a position at Southern Methodist University (SMU) where academic freedom remains protected.

6. Student and Faculty Reactions

Peterson's conservative and liberal students responded positively, thanking him for encouraging intellectual rigor. Many colleagues privately agreed the policy was harmful but feared retaliation if they spoke publicly.

7. Broader Implications for Higher Education

The censorship threatens Texas A&M's academic reputation and competitiveness, particularly as American universities historically attracted global talent precisely because they protected intellectual freedom from political interference.

8. Peterson's Ethical Framework

Peterson's book 'Ethics in the Gray Area' explores moral decision-making when options are neither entirely right nor wrong, a framework he applied to his decision to speak up while technically complying with policies.

9. Dissenting Compliance as a Strategy

Peterson advocates for 'dissenting compliance'—forcefully expressing objections to censorship while complying with policies to avoid punishment—rather than civil disobedience, which he argues rarely achieves institutional change.

10. Moving Forward at SMU

Peterson's new role as Scurlock Chair in AI Ethics at Southern Methodist University allows him to continue academic work in a private institution where state censorship policies do not apply.

Key People & Entities

Martin Peterson: Philosophy professor at Texas A&M University; resigned over censorship of Plato; author of 'Ethics in the Gray Area'; now Scurlock Chair in AI Ethics at SMU
Greg Abbott: Governor of Texas; reportedly pressured Texas A&M to fire lecturer Melissa McColl, triggering the board's adoption of the censorship policy
Melissa McColl: Lecturer in English department at Texas A&M; fired for teaching children's literature from a gender perspective; incident that prompted the new policy
Avishai Artsy: Vox supervising producer; host of The Gray Area episode featuring Martin Peterson
Plato: Ancient Greek philosopher (428–348 BCE); author of Symposium, a foundational text in Western philosophy discussing love and human relationships
Texas A&M University: Public research university in Texas; implemented the censorship policy affecting course content related to race, gender, and sexual orientation
Southern Methodist University (SMU): Private research university in Dallas; hired Martin Peterson as Scurlock Chair in AI Ethics

Glossary

Academic freedom: The principle that scholars and teachers have the right to pursue, present, and discuss ideas freely without institutional censorship or political interference.
Core curriculum: Required foundational courses that all undergraduate students must take, typically covering general education topics.
Board of Regents: Governing board members of a university system, typically appointed by elected officials, who set institutional policies and oversee university operations.
Plato's Symposium: A Socratic dialogue depicting seven men discussing the nature of love, including discussions of same-sex relationships and different forms of human connection.
Dissenting compliance: A strategy of openly objecting to a policy while technically complying with it, rather than openly violating it through civil disobedience.
Civil disobedience: The deliberate violation of laws or policies deemed unjust, typically done publicly and with acceptance of legal consequences.
Ideological teaching: In this context, instruction that advocates for specific political or social viewpoints rather than presenting multiple perspectives on controversial topics.

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