An Editorial on Academic Freedom to Preserve Liberty in Teaching

Abstract

The noble task of teaching requires a free spirit of inquiry, exemplary open-mindedness, and conditions for the practice of responsibly relaying information to the student. (Justice Frankfurter, 1952) For the last century, academics have supported the idea of a ‘free spirit of inquiry' and have dubbed it academic freedom. In the current divisive climate between progressive and capitalist ideologies, having and keeping your academic freedom requires you to understand what academic freedom is, where it came from, and why it is important to defend it. Our students often don't hear the message of capitalism because the numerical majority of professors, across all disciplines, are progressive. In order for students to make rational decision about capitalism, they have to be taught about it by professors who are capitalists. More open dialogue, not less, between professors holding different ideologies, in front of an audience of students, is necessary.