For the Common Good: Principles of American Academic Freedom - Softcover

Finkin, Matthew W.; Post, Robert C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300177526 ISBN 13: 9780300177527

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2011

Synopsis

An exploration of the meaning of academic freedom in American higher education

Debates about academic freedom have become increasingly fierce and frequent. Legislative efforts to regulate American professors proliferate across the nation. Although most American scholars desire to protect academic freedom, they have only a vague and uncertain apprehension of its basic principles and structure. This book offers a concise explanation of the history and meaning of American academic freedom, and it attempts to intervene in contemporary debates by clarifying the fundamental functions and purposes of academic freedom in America.

Matthew W. Finkin and Robert C. Post trace how the American conception of academic freedom was first systematically articulated in 1915 by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and how this conception was in subsequent years elaborated and applied by Committee A of the AAUP. The authors discuss the four primary dimensions of academic freedom—research and publication, teaching, intramural speech, and extramural speech. They carefully distinguish academic freedom from the kind of individual free speech right that is created by the First Amendment. The authors strongly argue that academic freedom protects the capacity of faculty to pursue the scholar’s profession according to the standards of that profession.

About this title

About the Author

Matthew W. Finkin is Albert J. Harno and Edward W. Cleary Chair in Law, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Law. He lives in Champaign. Robert C. Post is Dean and Sol & Lillian Goldman Professor of Law, Yale Law School. He lives in New Haven, CT.

Review

?At a time when too many of academic freedom's defenders and critics are unclear about just what academic freedom is?and is not?this historically grounded, lucid formulation of academic freedom's basic principles is of extraordinary value. David A. Hollinger, University of California, Berkeley -- David A. Hollinger

?This book is certainly the best and clearest analysis I have read on the theory and practice of academic freedom. It should be required reading for anyone interested in this important subject. Derek Bok, The 300th Anniversary University Professor and President Emeritus, Harvard University -- Derek Bok

At a time when too many of academic freedoms defenders and critics are unclear about just what academic freedom isand is notthis historically grounded, lucid formulation of academic freedoms basic principles is of extraordinary value.David A. Hollinger, University of California, Berkeley -- David A. Hollinger

This book is certainly the best and clearest analysis I have read on the theory and practice of academic freedom. It should be required reading for anyone interested in this important subject.Derek Bok, The 300th Anniversary University Professor and President Emeritus, Harvard University -- Derek Bok

"This book is certainly the best and clearest analysis I have read on the theory and practice of academic freedom. It should be required reading for anyone interested in this important subject."--Derek Bok, The 300th Anniversary University Professor and President Emeritus, Harvard University--Derek Bok

"A handy and readable survey of theory and practice, with pointed illustrations of faculty renegades and administrator tyrants, along with the AAUP''s efforts to arbitrate the delicate balance between intellectual innovation and academic duty, adversarial minds and scholarly guidelines."--Mark Bauerlein, "The Weekly Standard"--Mark Bauerlein"The Weekly Standard" (03/16/2009)

"[This book] is right on target. And you just have to love a book . . . that declares that while faculty must ''respect students as persons, '' they are under no obligation to respect the ''ideas held by students.'' Way to go!"--Stanley Fish, "New York Times"--Stanley Fish"New York Times" (11/23/2008)

"At a time when too many of academic freedom's defenders and critics are unclear about just what academic freedom is--and is not--this historically grounded, lucid formulation of academic freedom's basic principles is of extraordinary value."--David A. Hollinger, University of California, Berkeley--David A. Hollinger

Edition details

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0300177526
• ISBN 13: 9780300177527
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 272