What a wonderful essay, a real exemplar of qualitative analysis. Duberman seems to channel Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching #18) in his syllogism about authority versus authoritarianism: “When Tao is lost, age replaces maturity, information replaces understanding, and technique replaces originality.”

I particularly liked his insight about vociferous discussions in the class: “Activity, when manic, was itself a form of passivity, though disguised to look like its opposite. ‘Busyness,’ like ‘boredom,’ could serve as a device for avoiding self-confrontation.” This comment could apply to the current climate of political unrest as well, both on campus and off campus.