Politicized Universities

Authors

  • Kai Nielsen University of Calgary

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11575/jet.v8i2.43621

Abstract

It is not necessary to assume what may be 'the myth of political neutrality' to defend the value of free inquiry or the need for objective research, that is, research as free as possible from propagandistic demands. Such inquiry and research are quite compatible with a self-consciously politicized university as long as this politicized university is also a university which is committed to the ideals of a critical university in which there is an attempt to discover the truth (or at least truth) about politics and society. What needs to be feared is not a political university but a political university which would deliberately accept propaganda and deny the ideals of open and fairrninded inquiry. The important thing is not to fight against the politicization of the university but to fight for a politicization of the university which takes a humane and rational direction- a direction in which, among other things, the ideals of free and rational inquiry are defended and 'cooking of the evidence' to fit ideological preconceptions is not tolerated.

Author Biography

Kai Nielsen, University of Calgary

Kai Nielsen is Professor of Philosophy at The University of Calgary, an editor of the Canadian Journal of Philosophy

Published

2018-05-11

Issue

Section

Articles