Scientists lost in declaration: Unacceptable remarks and the pursuit of sustainable positioning

Abstract

Discursive transgressions of values widely shared by society or by a certain group of which the declarant is a part are a clearly identifiable and increasingly relevant social phenomenon, also in the academic field. This article has two main objectives. First, it aims to gain new insights into high-complexity public conversations on controversial issues. Second, it seeks to identify the challenges faced by academic institutions in a world where disinformation is perceived as the most significant risk in the near term. This article presents the case of Nobel laureate Sir Tim Hunt and his ‘trouble with girls’ as a public discourse scandal that triggered both a large critical social response followed by Hunt’s expulsion from institutional positions in science, and a subsequent controversy that led to a deterioration of the credibility of the science system in the eyes of society at large. The case has been called ‘one of the most extraordinary academic tales of recent years’. Additionally, the article examines a contrasting case: the response of John Finnis and the University of Oxford to calls for the professor’s expulsion for allegedly promoting discrimination. For this analysis, the mechanism of sustainable public discourse that manifests a sustainable public positioning in high-complexity contexts will be given special attention since Elizalde’s theory of dissent. Analysis and conclusions are discussed.