Boris Johnson slams trigger warning for Exeter Greek methodology module

Students may find the module ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘challenging’

4 hours ago

The University of Exeter’s decision to issue a trigger warning for students studying a Greek mythology module has sparked a wave of controversy.

Critics, including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have called the move “absurd,” according to a report by the Daily Mail.

The trigger warning for the Women in Homer module advises students that they may encounter “uncomfortable and challenging” material, including infant mortality, rape, and sexual violence, in classic texts such as the Iliad and the Odyssey.

The university encourages students to address any distress caused by the material by stepping out of the classroom, consulting the university’s wellbeing services, or discussing concerns with a lecturer.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticised the university’s warning, questioning if students are now deemed too “feeble-minded” to engage with classic literature.

He commented: “Are they really saying that their students are so wet, so feeble-minded and so generally namby-pamby that they can’t enjoy Homer?”

Other academics argue that universities should equip students to confront challenging content, rather than shield them from it.

Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent, said: “Poor old Homer. A university that decides to put a trigger warning on Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey has become morally disoriented to the point that it has lost the plot.

“It is obvious that this university is unaware of the temporal distinction between the present and past and regards these foundational mythologies as if they are contemporary statements about the world.”

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Jeremy Black, the author of A Short History Of War, also added: ‘Trigger warnings proliferate like knotweed and the latest, on Women In Homer at Exeter, can surely only be a parody.

“Homer’s work on the Trojan War inherently focuses on violence and is realistic precisely because heroism and cruelty are shown to be related. There is no need for the emotional incontinence of walking out of lectures.”

The university has justified the warnings as a proactive measure to prevent unnecessary distress.

A spokesman for the University of Exeter said: ‘The university strongly supports both academic freedom and freedom of speech and accepts that this means students may encounter views and content that they may find uncomfortable during their studies.

“Content warnings help ensure students who may be affected by specific issues are not subjected to any potential unnecessary distress.”