Freedom as a Farce: or, Who Gets to be Free?

Abstract

This essay argues that “academic freedom” is a fantasy, one that inherently contradicts the ethical principles of safety, social harmony, and multiculturalism. Academic freedom—the right to “engage in intellectual inquiry”, to “express […] opinions and beliefs”, and to “contribute to public debate” in relation to “academic activities”—rests upon monocultural Western assumptions of epistemology, knowledge production, and rhetorical discourse. These assumptions are rooted in oppression, and we cannot promote social harmony under such conditions.