The Myth of Academic Freedom

This paper argues that there is no such thing as academic freedom. A person who speak out on issues, whether within their institution or in public, risk retaliation by others more powerful than they. And there are many forms of retaliation. Even tenure can't guarantee protection from powerful colleagues. Tenure and academic freedom were originally conceived as a way to provide scholars the freedom to explore and express, without fear of retaliation, unconventional ideas that might challenge existing or preconceived social or scientific philosophies or practices