top of page

Stanley Fish on Academic Freedom July 23, 2006

In this New York Times piece, Fish tries to nuance the debate over academic freedom, specifically over whether a professor should be allowed to espouse political positions in the classroom. Using a Wisconsin professor who spoke in his class of 9/11 as an inside government job, he draws a productive distinction between a professor being an advocate for "extremist" or minority views, and taking these views (which often have wide cultural currency) as objects of analysis. He declares that the former approach is not within the bounds of protected academic freedom, whereas the latter is. Read the NYT article.

–Suzanne Verderber

1 view

Recent Posts

See All

Here is an excellent report on the situation at UC Davis, and in the California public university system in general, in the wake of pepper spraying of students and use of police brutality on campus.  

February 1, 2011 UPDATE: It has been announced on Democracy Now that Brooklyn College has reversed its decision and rehired the professor.  Good sense and academic freedom prevails! An adjunct profess

Academic Freedom, covered under article III in the UFCT 1460's CBA, can be an elusive concept to understand. The case of University of Alaska professor, Rick Steiner, who lost a research grant due to

bottom of page