Losing Academic Freedom Is Too High a Price

For most people, it would be unthinkable to estimate the monetary value of their children. Most would also express disgust at the idea of selling their organs or a body part. These situations are what we call “taboo tradeoffs,” eliciting moral outrage from people asked to trade something sacred for something mundane.

For many scholars and students, academic freedom is a sacred value. Academic freedom is the idea that researchers and educators can study and teach ideas without political interference or threats to their livelihood. Academic freedom is the lifeblood of innovation and the oxygen that fuels the pursuit of knowledge. It provides a cornerstone for progress. Without academic freedom, institutions of higher education risk becoming mere factories of conformity, serving up ideas that meet the demands of political or industry agendas, rather than fostering inquiry…