‘Don’t Go There’ Requires Coercion

The article argues that a policy of voluntary silence on contentious research (e.g., race and IQ) cannot work without social or institutional punishment. Everyday tact analogies fail in academic contexts: stopping researchers or commentators demands sanctions, making 'don’t go there' a form of de facto censorship. — It clarifies how soft speech norms become coercive in science and universities, shaping debates over academic freedom and acceptable inquiry.