Abstract

The belief that we are living in a post-truth age raises a number of complex, paradoxical questions. Does it suggest, for example, that truth no longer matters? Or, that the idea of truth no longer exists? The university, of course, has long been associated with the interests of truth – not only in searching for truth, but in telling the truth. This is made evident in its emphasis on logic, rationality, deliberation, debate, reason, contemplation, reflection and academic freedom. Truth, and its ensuing perspectives, perceptions, agreements and conflicts, are what makes a university what it is. As such, the university is as enmeshed in versions of truth, as it is in versions of power – which serves only to confirm the necessity for a continuous interrogation of these truths, and hence, power. In principle, academic freedom infers that both members of staff and students at universities have the right to engage in intellectual engagement and debate, without fear of censorship. In practice, however, when we take stock of academic freedom in spaces of higher education, we see growing patterns of shutting down, and closing off, rather than opening up. The interest of this article, therefore, is to consider how the university can remain discursively open to that which is new, unfamiliar and unpopular, while simultaneously, doing no harm – either to itself or its students.

摘要

我们生活在后真相时代的信念引发了许多复杂的、自相矛盾的问题。例如，它是否表明真相不再重要？或者，真理的观念不再存在？当然，大学长期以来一直与真理的利益联系在一起——不仅是在寻找真理，而且是在说实话。这在它强调逻辑、理性、深思熟虑、辩论、理性、沉思、反思和学术自由中体现得淋漓尽致。真相，以及随之而来的观点、看法、共识和冲突，造就了大学。因此，大学沉浸在真理的版本中，正如它在权力的版本中一样——这只是证实了对这些真理的​​持续质疑的必要性，因此，权力。原则上，学术自由意味着大学的教职员工和学生都有权进行智力参与和辩论，而不必担心受到审查。然而，在实践中，当我们评估高等教育领域的学术自由时，我们会看到越来越多的关闭和关闭模式，而不是开放模式。因此，本文的目的是考虑大学如何对新的、不熟悉的和不受欢迎的事物保持开放的态度，同时不伤害自己或学生。而不是开放。因此，本文的目的是考虑大学如何对新的、不熟悉的和不受欢迎的事物保持开放的态度，同时不伤害自己或学生。而不是开放。因此，本文的目的是考虑大学如何对新的、不熟悉的和不受欢迎的事物保持开放的态度，同时不伤害自己或学生。