Thursday, March 30, 2017

Academic Freedom? - Michael Ignatieff is pathetic

Failed politicians never die. They become embassy ambassadors and university presidents. After Michael Ignatieff crashed the Liberal Party of Canada he returned to Harvard University, was given an Order of Canada by Trudeau, and became president of the Soros-funded Central European University in Hungary. Hungary wants the Soros cancer out but globalist Ignatieff is screaming "academic freedom".

What many commentators fail to understand is that: (1) "institutional independence" of universities is a myth, and (2) even ideal "institutional independence" is a distinct concept from "academic freedom". "Institutional independence" is falsely cast as "academic freedom" by university bosses but is really just an argument to be free of public oversight. Whereas "academic freedom" is the individual freedom of expression and inquiry of students and academics, which needs to be protected against both institutional and state controls so that the individual researcher can pursue uncomfortable truths and social influence.

At the perverse highest level "academic freedom" itself is a myth and is really just a legalistic device to prevent meaningful political or social engagement of professors (see the history of academic freedom, as surveyed by Schrecker in her book "No Ivory Tower").

No comments: