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Debating Academic Freedom. Educational-Philosophical Premises and Problems

Authors :
Thompson, Christiane
Source :
Educational Philosophy and Theory. 2021 53(11):1086-1096.
Publication Year :
2021

Abstract

In the past years, there has been an intensive discussion on the topic of academic freedom in the university. More precisely, it has been criticized that the university is confronted with a growing intolerance and the request to limit free speech. This contribution takes a case at a German university as point of departure. It shows how the current discussions draw on central figures of the philosophy of Enlightenment. In the first part of the paper, the ideas of free speech following Kant, Mill, and Popper are presented. The second part of the article shows how these positions can also lead to an inversion or instrumentalization of Enlightenment thought. This is illustrated using exemplary statements from the case presented in the beginning of the article. In the third part of the article, the concept of higher education or "Bildung" will be discussed in relation to academic freedom. The guiding principle is an openness toward a pluralistic discourse that is to be framed by societal analysis, civility, and critique.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
0013-1857
Volume :
53
Issue :
11
Database :
ERIC
Journal :
Educational Philosophy and Theory
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
EJ1309218
Document Type :
Journal Articles<br />Reports - Descriptive
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2020.1773796