marketplace of ideas, or old boys club?

conservatives believe in the market, but it seems they get a bit uneasy when it comes to the market of ideas. why is a market for goods any different than a market for thoughts and ideas? i guess i'm thinking of the huge deal conservatives make about the liberal slant of most academic fields (save a few such as economics and math). one possible reason is that liberal ideas are inherently more appealing. another reason could be that just like boot cut jeans, liberal ideas happen to be in fashion at the moment. this doesn't seem right to me, though, as many students are very conservative.

or, could it that the marketplace of ideas isn't the cause of such a liberal academy. is it a liberal "old boys club" that keeps conservatives out? should we have affirmative action for conservatives?

but seriously, there are many valuable ideas that conservatives and libertarians can contribute to discussions, and it's a shame that they're often overlooked and often disregarded out-of-hand.

Labels: ideology