Pierre Romagnoli, Dean of the Faculty of Exact Sciences at UNAB, has issued a condemnation of the recent aggression against Science and Technology Minister Ximena Lincolao at the Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh).
In a formal critique, Romagnoli applied the principles of Newtonian physics to the current state of social coexistence and the recent violence at the university.
The laws of intolerance
Romagnoli first addressed the law of inertia to describe the behavior of the academic community. He argued that a community that allows itself to be carried away by intolerance tends to remain in that state indefinitely.
To break this cycle, he stated, a conscious and collective will toward dialogue is required.
The Dean then analyzed the relationship between impact and proportion. He described violence as a force that accelerates the degradation of the academic and social environment.
"Without the counterweight of respect, the space for critical thinking simply disappears," Romagnoli said.
He further applied the principle of action and reaction to address the consequences of the attack on the Minister. Romagnoli noted that an act of aggression inevitably triggers an institutional and social reaction.
He warned that individuals who violate the integrity of others within a university setting must understand that the resulting societal response will be proportional to the act.
Romagnoli concluded his statement by highlighting the existential risk violence poses to higher education. Citing Jorge Millas, Romagnoli argued that violence represents a fundamental failure of the university's mission.
"A university setting where force is imposed is just an occupied building, no longer an academy," Romagnoli wrote.