SALIENT

The Harvard

Renewing
open debate at
Harvard University

The Salient is Harvard's undergraduate

free speech publication. We fight to restore Harvard's traditions of free speech, intellectual rigor, and open debate.

Printed copies are distributed to every student and faculty member on campus, and shipped to subscribers around the globe.

Check out our Substack

PUBLICATION

Focusing on political philosophy, commentary, and current events, our publication provides a platform for the free exchange of ideas with intellectual honesty and

rigor. Physical copies are distributed to every student and faculty member at Harvard and shipped to subscribers around the world.

READERSHIP

6,700

undergraduate students

14,500

graduate students

2,400

faculty & staff

23,600 members of the Harvard community

EVENTS

Since our relaunch in 2021, we have held events with prominent thinkers

in politics, business, and academia.

We seek to foster discussion among students of all political persuasions, particularly debates between two sides of an argument.

NETWORK

We are building a powerful community of Harvard alumni and faculty. The Salient will host networking opportunities, retreats for members, and reunions for student members and

alumni. Together, we can bring Harvard to its traditional roots of open debate and discussion.

Harvard Students' Political Leanings

Liberal

Moderate

Liberal

Moderate

Conservative

Why the Salient?

Intellectual diversity remains an official fiction at Harvard, where social stigma and university policy de facto discourage political dissent.

Instead, students are expected to accept political dogmas uncritically, stunting their growth as thinkers.

The Salient is committed to dispelling intellectual laziness, exposing conventional untruths, and reviving serious debate on Harvard’s campus and beyond.

Team

The Salient is run by Harvard undergraduates who are committed to the fearless pursuit of truth and will continue the mission of providing Harvard with an alternative viewpoint.

Writers are encouraged to write under pen names to allow for sincere and open discourse, with the focus being on the ideas expressed rather than the identity of the person expressing them.

Impact

Our paper has launched a movement to return real debates, not just safe-space roundtables and "difficult conversations," to Harvard's campus.

Direct and indirect student responses testify to the Salient's high profile among Harvard undergraduates, from letters of support across the political spectrum, discussions on social media, anonymous feedback, to letters to the editor.

At Harvard, we continue to push for free, responsible speech, by encouraging students to stand up for their ideas even—or especially—when they run against the grain.

For questions or comments, please email editor@salientharvard.com