Daniel Stid:

Those of us who believe that the purpose of the university is to pursue truth must engage with and persuade those who may not share our convictions.  A compelling way to do this is by practicing what the Heterodox Academy calls “The HxA Way,” which they have distilled down to five norms and values:

  1. Make your case with evidence

  2. Be intellectually charitable

  3. Be intellectually humble

  4. Be constructive

  5. Be yourself

It is not always easy to exemplify these norms and values, especially when they are under brazen assault, but this is the life that HxA members have chosen. By living up to them, members can serve as what Kyle Sebastian Vitale, VP of Programs at HxA called “winsome disruptors.” In his keynote address, Vitale outlined the imperative: “an ardent and disarming response to forces that crowd against open inquiry as we pursue truth in education. Done in a way that wins people to us, rather than gets us past them.”