Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ The duty to explain: a positive defence of academic freedom in the social sciences

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

This paper (13 page PDF) argues that it is "unhelpful" to think of "academic freedom as a stark division between those who believe in 'balance' or 'neutrality', and others who insist on the right of the university teacher to express their personal beliefs without regard to their impact on the independent intellectual development of others." Why should professors get special rights to express beliefs that others do not have? Instead, it argues that the basis for academic freedom lies in the same principle as 'informed consent' found in other professions; providing the client with all the information they need to make an informed decision constitutes a part of the 'duty of care' that forms an ethical basis for these professions

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Nov 21, 2024 10:14 a.m.

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