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23 - The Political Necessity and Perilous Ambiguity of “Academic Freedom”

from Part II - Ethics and Education in Practice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 March 2024

By
John E. Petrovic  and
Shelby J. Morris
Edited by
Sheron Fraser-Burgess ,
Jessica Heybach  and
Dini Metro-Roland
Sheron Fraser-Burgess
Affiliation:
Ball State University, Indiana
Jessica Heybach
Affiliation:
Florida International University
Dini Metro-Roland
Affiliation:
Western Michigan University
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Summary

This chapter provides definitions of academic freedom and its legal precedents, stemming from the First Amendment. The authors note the tension placed on the concept as it occupies a space between the purposes of democratic legitimation and the promotion of democratic competence. The strain on conceptualizations of academic freedom is exacerbated by a lack of legal clarity and the ambiguity of some of its key elements. Contemporary challenges, including the neoliberalization of the university and political attacks in the form of “divisive concepts” bills, will continue to test the discursive power of “academic freedom.”

Keywords

academic freedomFirst Amendmentdemocratic legitimationautonomydisciplinarity
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Ethics and Education , pp. 485 - 508
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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