If you thought the University of Michigan had exhausted its supply of wake-up madness, think again. The latest virtue signaling action? Determine whether Latin plant names, the backbone of biological taxonomy for centuries, may be racist (Latin plant names may be racist, warns University of Michigan).
Using Latin names for plants may be racist, the University of Michigan has warned, in the guidance to prevent the influence of colonial “power structures” on visitors.
A strategy document for the university’s botanical garden and arboretum warned against using the traditional combination of English and Latin names on plaques next to plants, fearing it could erase “other forms of knowledge”.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2024/10/17/latin-plant-names-racist-suggests-university-michigan
Yes, you read that right: apparently, language that has been the scientific community’s universal classification tool for hundreds of years is now a symbol of oppression. This is what happens when academia, long a treasure trove of knowledge, decides to trade rigor for silliness, replacing logic with ideological pandering bordering on absurdity.
We are now in an era where centuries-old systems, based on proven practicality and effectiveness, are being labeled as problematic because they are incompatible with the ever-changing and demanding landscape of social justice. The University of Michigan’s position that Latin names can symbolize colonialism or reflect systemic racism is not only absurd—it’s dangerous. It takes a hammer to the foundations of science and replaces the fragile bones of political correctness.
The practice of naming plants, animals, and almost all living organisms using Latin names has been an important tool for scientists since the 18th century. Introduced by Carl Linnaeus, the Latin binomial system of nomenclature gave scientists around the world a shared language to describe the natural world. . In one brilliant stroke, Linnaeus standardized taxonomy and gave researchers a way to classify species based on their relationships, physical traits, and evolutionary history. This is progress, not an act of colonialism.
However, the University of Michigan, in a screaming motion We will be the wokest of allhas decided that this scientific breakthrough can attack. How, exactly? He argues that Latin names may have something to do with colonization, or that they may reflect the power structure of an outdated society. The absurdity of this statement cannot be overstated. It’s as if someone decided to choose a scientific foundation for no other reason than to meet the growing demands of social justice warriors. Apparently, it is not enough that biology has been universally understood and many lives have been saved through the correct identification of species for medical and ecological purposes-no, what is important now is that some sense of “inclusivity” that has been created must overcome scientific achievements. .
Let’s put it bluntly: this is what happens when academics stop caring about science and instead bow to the social justice hordes. They throw away what they can – what they’ve done – because someone somewhere can claim to be offended. It’s the same as an intellectual smashing his own compass because someone once claimed that the company that made it had a relationship with the explorers who mapped the uncharted land. Or, it’s the intellectual equivalent of unpacking your own telescope because someone decided the star you helped discover was named by someone with an old belief.
And here’s the kicker – this isn’t just isolated madness. The University of Michigan has been on this awakening trajectory for some time. If we trace its descent into ideological oblivion, it becomes clear that the Latin plant name fiasco is just the next position in the progressive belt. Prior to this, he had made headlines for implementing a wide-ranging diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy that valued identity politics over academic achievement. DEI initiatives are now at a point where scientific facts and long-standing academic practices are being abandoned in favor of social justice.
A decade ago, Michigan leaders created an ambitious new DEI plan, with the goal “to make far-reaching fundamental changes at every level, in every unit.” Trying to touch “every individual on campus,” as a school, Michigan has poured about a quarter of a billion dollars into DEI since 2016, according to an internal presentation I obtained. A 2021 report from the conservative Heritage Foundation that studied the growth of DEI programs in higher education — the only such study to date — found that Michigan has the largest DEI bureaucracy of all public universities. Tens of thousands of scholars have completed bias training. Thousands of instructors have been trained in inclusive teaching.
When Michigan inaugurated what is now called DEI 1.0, it deliberately placed itself in the ranks of the revolution that was then reshaping American higher education. Across the country, college administrators are rapidly expanding DEI, confident that the program will help attract and retain a wider variety of students and faculty.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/16/magazine/dei-university-michigan.html
What we see is a growing culture in universities where the pursuit of scientific excellence takes a backseat to modern causes. It is more important to appear “progressive” than to make progress. Latin taxonomy, which has been used to describe more than 1.2 million species, is suddenly under suspicion because some are worried that using Latin might remind people of the colonial era? Really crazy.
The fundamental question that no one at the University of Michigan is willing to ask is: who do they serve? Are scientists in Brazil or South Africa calling for an overhaul of Latin taxonomy because it might limit their ability to conduct research or make innovative discoveries? Of course not. The global scientific community has developed precisely because of the universality of Latin names. Plant species in Kenya have the same names as in France or Japan. It wasn’t an accident; it is by design, and has been the basis for collaboration, communication, and discovery for centuries. To suggest that this system is exclusive is not only a misrepresentation, but also an insult to the very nature of science, which must prioritize clarity and universality over ideology.
The practicality of Latin nomenclature cannot be underestimated. There is a reason why Linnaean taxonomy has endured for almost 300 years – it works. Scientists from very different cultures, speaking different languages, can communicate fluently when referring to each other Homo sapiens, Rosa rubiginosaor Panthera leo. Imagine a world where instead of these clear and consistent labels, we are forced to use colloquial or politically refined versions that change based on geography or, worse, political whims. Chaos will reign, and scientific progress will be disrupted by this petty insistence on meeting current ideological trends.
And make no mistake, ideological trends like these have real consequences. If the University of Michigan’s position goes mainstream, it’s not just Latin plant names that are being targeted. Once the ideological floodgates are opened, where does it end? Did we stop using Latin names for diseases because someone claimed to be insensitive to ancient Roman slaves? Do we throw away mathematical terms like “algorithm” because they are of Arabic origin, so that someone who has nothing to remember about the conquest of history?
What makes this even more insidious is that this taxonomy attack is described as an action progress or justicewhen in fact they are the opposite. The destruction of the universal scientific language impedes progress, confuses the process of discovery, and throws us into an intellectual decadence with no standards safe from ideological scrutiny. Latin names have nothing to do with colonialism, racism, or oppression. It’s about precision, usability, and the advancement of science. The University of Michigan cannot—or will not—see that this is proof of how deeply DEI ideology has infiltrated and corrupted academia.
If the purpose of the university is to truly educate and prepare students for the world, this nonsense will destroy it. It teaches us that science is malleable, that facts can be rewritten if they make people uncomfortable, and that the pursuit of truth can be set aside to score points with the loudest activists. This is the antithesis of intellectual rigor. Instead of challenging students to make scientific claims, Michigan tells them that the research tools are part of the problem if they don’t align with the prevailing social justice narrative.
However, the real world does not act with sense and wake up. Scientists in the field, conservationists trying to protect endangered species, doctors who identify diseases—all depend on the accuracy and consistency provided by Latin names. They don’t have the luxury of changing the name because some ideologues decide that the name is a problem. This is why the wider scientific community must reject this ridiculous idea. If we allow politics to dictate how we name and categorize the world around us, we are no longer doing science – we are doing activism.
Ultimately, this debacle at the University of Michigan is symptomatic of a larger problem. Academia is no longer a bastion of free thought and the pursuit of knowledge; has become a breeding ground for the latest woke fads. Latin taxonomy is not a problem – people who see racism in every tree and under a rock. People who have become so ideologically blinded that they cannot recognize the value of a time-tested system.
Here’s a message to the University of Michigan and anyone who buys into this madness: stop politicizing science. Stop turning every aspect of life into a debate about race, gender, or oppression. There is no need to dismantle the systems that allow us to understand, classify, and protect nature. If you really care about progress, about inclusivity, then uphold universal standards that allow science to flourish. That’s how you make sure everyone has a seat at the table, not by turning the table around because it was made in the 18th century.
H/T strativarius
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