Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
HxA is a leading advocate for institutional neutrality. But not everyone agrees. Should universities remain institutionally neutral on contested political and moral issues, or do they have a responsibility to speak out?
In this webinar discussion, John Tomasi, president of Heterodox Academy, is joined by legal scholar at UC Davis, Brian Soucek for a direct and spirited discussion of one of the most consequential debates in contemporary higher education today. Soucek has argued that neutrality is neither possible nor desirable, proposing instead what he calls institutional counterspeech: the idea that universities should actively use their institutional voice to oppose views they judge to be harmful. Tomasi, by contrast, contends that institutional neutrality is essential to protecting viewpoint diversity, academic freedom, and the conditions for building cultures of inquiry.
This discussion expands on their recent exchange in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
- The Case Against Institutional Neutrality - Brian Soucek (Jan 15)
- Colleges Are Not Moral Actors - John Tomasi (Jan 27)
- Letters: A Strawman Argument on Steroids - Brain Soucek (Jan 30)
- Letters: Why ‘Harm’ Can’t Anchor a University’s Mission - John Tomasi (Feb 3)
HxA is a leading advocate for institutional neutrality. But not everyone agrees. Should universities remain institutionally neutral on contested political and moral issues, or do they have a responsibility to speak out?
In this webinar discussion, John Tomasi, president of Heterodox Academy, is joined by legal scholar at UC Davis, Brian Soucek for a direct and spirited discussion of one of the most consequential debates in contemporary higher education today. Soucek has argued that neutrality is neither possible nor desirable, proposing instead what he calls institutional counterspeech: the idea that universities should actively use their institutional voice to oppose views they judge to be harmful. Tomasi, by contrast, contends that institutional neutrality is essential to protecting viewpoint diversity, academic freedom, and the conditions for building cultures of inquiry.
This discussion expands on their recent exchange in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
- The Case Against Institutional Neutrality - Brian Soucek (Jan 15)
- Colleges Are Not Moral Actors - John Tomasi (Jan 27)
- Letters: A Strawman Argument on Steroids - Brain Soucek (Jan 30)
- Letters: Why ‘Harm’ Can’t Anchor a University’s Mission - John Tomasi (Feb 3)
