September is ‘Democracy Month’ in Berlin – proclaimed by the Zukunft Berlin Foundation in collaboration with the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) is using “Democracy Month” as an opportunity to encourage reflection on academic freedom and the autonomy of universities. This is because both academic freedom in research and teaching and the autonomy of these institutions are coming under pressure worldwide. Political interference, demands to cancel unwelcome events and international tensions are presenting academics and universities with growing challenges.
In the following articles, academics from HU provide insights into current debates on academic freedom and autonomy. They examine the legal, political and ethical dimensions and explain how academic freedom is linked to democracy and democratic discourse in our society.
- Our quest for truth, our knowledge of reality and our freedom are interdependent, argues the theologian Georg Essen. This makes academic freedom essential for our society. For democracy requires a shared reference point to reality, and the university needs academic freedom in order to fulfil its role as a socially recognised authority on the interpretation of reality. A state-imposed definition of ‘truth’, on the other hand, would stifle the democratic debate.
See the article ‘What is truth? Academic freedom in a liberal democracy’ by Prof. Dr Georg Essen. - At universities, controversies over academic freedom often arise from the decision to invite or disinvite politically prominent spokespersons. This is not a problem in itself, as dissent and diversity of opinion promote understanding from a philosophical perspective. But what criteria should be applied when deciding who is allowed to speak and who is not? According to philosophers Romy Jaster and Geert Keil, these can only derive from the university’s core mission – namely, the open-ended pursuit of knowledge. It is not specific positions on a given subject, but rather intellectual dishonesty that stands in the way of this task.
On the article ‘Who should not be allowed to speak at university?’ by Dr Romy Jaster and Prof. Dr Geert Keil. - The right of higher education institutions to decide independently on all matters of research and teaching was already recognised in principle by the Weimar Republic. Today, our constitution guarantees academic freedom and the associated right of higher education institutions to self-governance. Constitutional law expert Christoph Möllers analyses the rights and obligations that derive from this for academics, university management and Student Representation, and in his article also highlights the limits of the constitutionally guaranteed rights of universities: namely when state authorities threaten to cut off funding.
On the article ‘University autonomy: self-confidence enshrined in the Basic Law’ by Prof. Dr Christoph Möllers. - • The academic freedom enshrined in the Basic Law and the autonomy of universities derived from it have been interpreted time and again by judges of the Constitutional Court. Accordingly, the state must ensure, through ‘appropriate organisational measures’, that the fundamental right to free scientific activity can also be exercised in practice. Constitutional law expert Matthias Ruffert discusses what this means in concrete terms for universities and where interventions in (academic) policy reach their limits.
On the article ‘University autonomy for the common good’ by Prof. Dr Matthias Ruffert. - Many academics conducting research on the Middle East or other highly politicised topics such as gender studies or climate science are subjected to personal attacks and defamation and therefore tend towards self-censorship. Aileen Edele and Pauline Endres de Oliveira see this as a threat to democratic discourse and call on universities to develop defences against attacks on academic freedom.
On the article “When Research Becomes Cautious: Strengthening Individual and Institutional Resilience” by Prof. Dr Aileen Edele and Prof. Dr Pauline Endres de Oliveira - Is the freedom of research and teaching restricted in Germany? What, in fact, are these restrictions, and what motivates them? A survey shows that academics predominantly view the situation positively – yet they also perceive restrictions. The findings of the study by sociologist Julian Hamann and his colleagues also suggest that the heated debate on academic freedom and ‘cancel culture’ may reinforce researchers’ expectations of restrictions and trigger changes in behaviour.
Read the article ‘What is the state of academic freedom at German universities? Insights from a representative survey’ by Prof. Dr Julian Hamann.