Professors proceeding at their own risk: The limited protections of academic freedom for public intellectuals

Abstract

This chapter explores whether academic freedom extends to the work of academic public intellectuals through a historical analysis of landmark cases and episodes. It leads to the sobering conclusion that “professors proceed at their own risk if and when they take on the role of a public intellectual,” noting that the presence of academic freedom as a binding policy in academic organizations or professional associations is marginal and faculty protections for statements in the media are arbitrary and uncertain.