The Roots/Routes of Academic Freedom and the Role of the Intellectual

Abstract

The author discusses the roots of academic freedom in the American research university. He begins by discussing the Ross case at Stanford University and suggests that the case revolved around what would be seen today as “hate speech.” He then turns to the more current case of Sami Al-Arian, who was fired from his tenured position at the University of South Florida after he was suspected of being a terrorist. The author argues that the role of the intellectual is being tested today in ways that are new and current, and that however distasteful, it is essential to protect the rights of all academics, even those with whom we disagree.