ROGUE VIEWPOINTS OR MORE…? The Idea of Academic Freedom Today

Abstract

This paper, envisioned as a starting point for a discussion, addresses the issue of academic
freedom in the contemporary neoliberal context that has entered every aspect of our
lives. Referring to the historical-social, political, and institutional origins that enabled the
(re)definition of the ideal of academic freedom, the authors examine various contemporary
processes – from adaptations to the labor market to quality control and verification of the
“usefulness of knowledge” – raising questions about the possibility of “rogue viewpoints”
(Butler 2009). This entails questioning not only what is presented as legitimate in the context
of academic freedom today, but also the very boundaries that allow any questioning and
critique, as well as the possibility of alternative imaginaries for the future of universities.

Keywords: academic freedom, precarity, rogue viewpoint, critical thinking, autonomy of
academic institutions