Sep 11, 2025 07:46 PM
https://reason.com/2025/09/07/richard-da...c-thinking
EXCERPTS: Last year, you wrote an article in The Spectator called "Why I'm sticking up for science" about the adoption of certain Māori origin myths being presented as science in New Zealand schools. What was going on there?
RD: This is a very strange business. I arrived in New Zealand and was immediately aware that I was in the midst of a great controversy. The New Zealand government—which was then a socialist government; it's changed now, but the present government is doing the same thing—is importing compulsorily into science classes in New Zealand schools, Māori myths. And they are being given equal status to what they call "Western science." Which is just science. It's not "Western"; it's just science.
[...] It's pandering to, I think, a kind of guilt that white New Zealanders feel toward the Māori indigenous population, and bending over backward to show respect to the indigenous population. And I think that's fine—it would be great for New Zealand children to learn about Māori culture and myths in classes on anthropology and history. But to bring them into science classes—that's just not science.
I became involved because a number of distinguished scientists [...] protesting about this [...] As a consequence, they had their lectures canceled, they were threatened with expulsion... (MORE - details)
EXCERPTS: Last year, you wrote an article in The Spectator called "Why I'm sticking up for science" about the adoption of certain Māori origin myths being presented as science in New Zealand schools. What was going on there?
RD: This is a very strange business. I arrived in New Zealand and was immediately aware that I was in the midst of a great controversy. The New Zealand government—which was then a socialist government; it's changed now, but the present government is doing the same thing—is importing compulsorily into science classes in New Zealand schools, Māori myths. And they are being given equal status to what they call "Western science." Which is just science. It's not "Western"; it's just science.
[...] It's pandering to, I think, a kind of guilt that white New Zealanders feel toward the Māori indigenous population, and bending over backward to show respect to the indigenous population. And I think that's fine—it would be great for New Zealand children to learn about Māori culture and myths in classes on anthropology and history. But to bring them into science classes—that's just not science.
I became involved because a number of distinguished scientists [...] protesting about this [...] As a consequence, they had their lectures canceled, they were threatened with expulsion... (MORE - details)