Texas A&M Professor Accused of Censorship Over Course Readings

A Texas A&M philosophy professor, Martin Peterson, is facing backlash due to allegations of censorship.

Peterson claims he was told by the department to drop certain readings related to race and gender from his “Modern Moral Issues” course, which included texts by Plato, or he could be reassigned. He expressed his thoughts to KBTX, stating, “When I voice my opinion, Texas A&M is not moving in the right direction. Censorship is not a viable path to academic excellence.” It’s a tough situation; on one hand, I think some readings are undeniably more significant than others—perhaps Plato’s work is among them.

Interestingly, Peterson mentioned in an email that he was introducing Plato’s work as part of a module covering “racial ideology and gender ideology.” University officials have implemented new rules requiring professors to seek approval from their deans before broaching topics related to race, gender ideology, or sexual orientation.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) has come out in support of Peterson, arguing that the decision to exclude Plato is somewhat dubious. They pointed out that Texas A&M no longer sees him as relevant for introductory philosophy courses.

FIRE also criticized the situation, emphasizing that asking Peterson to remove Plato because it might involve race and gender issues is problematic. They argue that this scenario is a clear indication of how boards can impose censorship, leading to predictable and adverse outcomes. “Students cannot be protected by banning 2,400-year-old philosophy,” they stated.

Despite the claims of a “platonic ban,” Texas A&M’s course catalog still lists six classes that include Plato in their descriptions, none of which seem to be associated with Peterson. While the course he teaches, PHIL 111, listed as “Contemporary Moral Issues,” didn’t reference Plato at the time of writing, it shows that some faculty might still teach his work without framing it around racial or gender ideology.

Perhaps if Peterson struggles to approach Plato from a different angle, it may be worth considering another teaching opportunity.