Academic freedom under strain: Navigating the universalistic ideal and particularistic pressures

In discussions on academic freedom, the concept often remains undefined. In this article, we focus on academic freedom’s entanglement with the varying purposes of the university. We approach this by distinguishing between a universalistic purpose of the university and particularistic interests imposed upon the university. The former refers to the disinterested pursuit of knowledge and is autotelic, having a purpose in and of itself. The latter involves external demands placed on the university by actors such as the state, the church or society more broadly. In our empirical case studies, we examine a range of actors to explore how different conceptions of the university’s purposes are employed in justifying infringements on academic freedom. Based on our empirical material, we argue that academic freedom is frequently invoked by university actors to defend the universalistic purpose of the university against particularistic pressures. From the cases analysed we conclude that academic freedom is intrinsically linked to the universalistic purpose of the university, and that maintaining this link serves the wider interests of society.