Are universities political?
This is the question that the heated debates of recent years on the authority of science, on the responsibility of universities, and on academic freedom have raised. Answering this question requires restating the role that universities should play in today’s world. Drawing on the history of these particular institutions and on contemporary developments, this lecture re-examines the paradoxical position of universities, which are both building blocks of the societies they serve while at the same time claiming a separate place, insulated from social pressures.
This perspective helps to clarify a number of misunderstandings regarding their autonomy. Weber’s famous principle of 'axiological neutrality' actually describes a tension between independence and involvement that structures the existence of universities. As a result, universities can be said to have two historical specificities.
First, while they do not have a monopoly on knowledge, they provide conditions that are uniquely conducive to the exercise of reflexivity. One of the most important of these is time – the time to take a step back from the world, which is essential for knowing how to act in it.
Second, universities are first and foremost communities. While these communities were originally made up of professors or students, they have diversified and expanded far beyond campus walls and conventions. We need to take a fresh look at these reconfigured academic communities and the way they act in the world. Only then can universities strengthen their role as a reflexive community at the critical intersection of academia, politics and society.
Please note that in-person registration is now closed. Event livestream link is HERE