Cary Nelson, "Mindless: What Happened to Universities?" (Jewish Quarterly 259, 2025)

In Mindless: What Happened to Universities?, renowned scholar and former president of the American Association of University Professors Cary Nelson delivers a searing indictment of modern higher education. Once bastions of open debate and critical thinking, universities have become ideological battlegrounds where dissent is silenced, academic freedom is under siege, and antisemitism is repackaged as social justice. Against the backdrop of Hamas’ brutal invasion of Israel and massacre of civilians on October 7, 2023, and the war that followed, Nelson examines how anti-Zionist activism has overtaken campuses, transforming student protests into rigid political movements that brook no opposition. With chilling examples—from faculty members who celebrated Hamas attacks to university administrators who failed to protect Jewish students—Mindless exposes how radical ideology has reshaped the very nature of learning. In this urgent and provocative work, Nelson explores the emotional and social toll of this shift, the complicity of university leadership, and the role of social media in fueling division. He challenges readers to ask: Can the university still be saved? And if not, what does that mean for the future of education—and for society itself? A must-read for educators, students, and anyone concerned about the fate of intellectual freedom, Mindless is both a wake-up call and a call to action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/van-leer-institute