From Academic Freedom to Academic Justice

Abstract

The legacy of history continues to compel many scholars to hold an emotional attachment to the rhetoric of academic freedom. It is drawn upon, often in a seemingly arbitrary manner, to defend particular individuals, to challenge political legislation or to question the influence of private donors. However, as the previous chapters in this book have shown, recent years have witnessed a reappraisal of academic freedom and its significance to the pursuit of knowledge. Today, the concept of academic freedom is, on occasion, openly criticized. It stands accused of propagating a ‘neo-liberal’ view of the scholar as an autonomous individual, travelling free from experiences of prejudice, unencumbered by practical and emotional commitments, through a politically neutral intellectual terrain. Academic freedom stands accused of reinforcing the right to a platform for those who are already in dominant positions while doing nothing to challenge the structural inequalities that make it more difficult for less powerful groups to have their voices heard.