The concept of “academic freedom” has different meanings in different contexts. Some authors define it as the essence of university autonomy, but these are, in fact, two different (albeit connected) concepts which denote two different things: freedom of the institution and freedom of the individual. In both cases we are dealing with freedom, but they are two different types of freedom. One is the freedom of the university as an institution, which in developed, modern and democratic societies is most frequently understood as the (relative) independence of the university from the state and economic powers like corporations; and the other is the freedom of the university professor, his freedom to research, teach and publish. In this context, professors' academic freedom is seen in close relation to the search for truth, to question received knowledge and to put forward “new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions without placing themselves in jeopardy” (C. Russell). But such understanding of academic freedom (which presupposes the idea that university professors and researchers must be free if they want to discover objective truth), is now under challenge from postmodernist, relativist and other critics. On the other hand it seems also that academic freedom is more and more perceived as part of the more general right of the freedom of speech. However, academic freedom is not just the application of this general right to the case of universities. It is, as R. Dworkin stresses, a “paradigmatic duty of professors and researchers to discover, tell and teach what they find important and true”. The question which arises here and will be discussed in the paper is of whether university professors and researchers have a duty to exercise their freedom to speak out in the public debate as well.

critical analysis

If we accept that the philosophy of education is first and foremost an interrogation and that we (as philosophers of education) have to “put into question all that we know or believe about education” (Reboul), then we also have to do this for the concepts social justice and the arguments for and against the tuition fees. Therefore, I expect that this critical analysis will provide some new elements for the understanding of this old and well-known topic.