The diversity principle : the story of a transformative idea / David B. Oppenheimer.
| Author/creator | Oppenheimer, David Benjamin author. |
| Format | Book |
| Publication | New Haven : Yale University Press, [2026] |
| Copyright Date | ©2026 |
| Description | xii, 402 pages ; 25 cm. |
| Subjects |
| Series | Yale Law Library series in legal history and reference Yale Law Library series in legal history and reference. |
| Contents | The Diversity Principle Timeline -- Introduction: Two hundred years of valuing diversity -- Part 1. The diversity principle and the rise of the modern research university -- 1. Upending the traditional university -- 2. Liberty, equality, diversity -- 3. Liberty and diversity at Harvard -- 4. Harvard's "Jewish problem" -- Part 2. The diversity principle's influence on freedom of speech and academic freedom -- 5. The marketplace of ideas -- 6. Boycotts, quotas, diversity and segregation -- 7. The fight over the meaning of "excellence" -- 8. The open universities in South Africa -- 9. The four foundations of academic freedom -- Part 3. The diversity principle is embraced but then rejected by conservative Supreme Court justices -- 10. The legal brief that rewrote Affirmative Action law -- 11. Diversity and the Bakke case -- 12. The Supreme Court's long embrace and turnabout rejection of the diversity principle -- Part 4. The diversity principle's benefits are recognized and championed by educators, business leaders, and scientists -- 13. Diversity science -- 14. The business case for diversity -- 15. Diversity and backlash in Europe -- Part 5. The war against diversity -- 16. From diversity to DEI -- 17. The war on diversity -- Postscript. |
| Abstract | As a war on diversity upends government, corporate, and education policies, the history of the idea of diversity has never been more important. In this contrarian book, David B. Oppenheimer, a diversity skeptic turned admirer, chronicles how diversity became a foundational value of higher education over the last two hundred years, how it evolved as it was adopted in commerce and science, and the implications of the current backlash. The diversity principle--the idea that people with different backgrounds, experiences, identities, and viewpoints produce better work by engaging with one another--was a core tenet of the first modern research university, founded in Germany in 1810. It was the inspiration for John Stuart Mill's On Liberty, a touchstone of academic freedom; a hallmark of Charles Eliot's remaking of Harvard in the late nineteenth century to promote the "clash of ideas"; and a foundation of the twentieth century efforts toward equality of Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Pauli Murray. In telling the story of the diversity principle through the experiences of these and other remarkable thinkers, Oppenheimer argues for affirming diversity as a central value of education and an essential ingredient for a robust intellectual and political culture. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Issued in other form | ebook version : 9780300289596 |
| ISBN | 9780300279894 hardback |
| ISBN | 0300279892 hardback |
| ISBN | ePub ebook |
| Standard identifier# | CIPO000345164 |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyner | New Books | LC213.2 .O668 2026 | ✔ Available | Want This? |