Does the right to academic freedom still exist? Two controversial mainstreams in contemporary north american academy

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to consider two of the new possible restrictions to academic freedom in contemporary north american academy, which has developed the biggest worldwide doctrine on the issue. To fulfill this purpose, we will analyze in the first place the notion of “political correctness” as a strategy of language dominance, and its effects on free circulation of scientific opinions. The paper considers also the consequences to academic freedom of the so called “academic justice” emergent criteria, which seems to weaken discretionary research and teaching. It seems plausible to discover behind the concept of “academic justice” the argument that society can be reduced to the binary structure of oppressors and victims, in a way that the victims’ sensibility must be publicly protected, even against the apparently well stablished right to academic freedom.