The Academic Freedom Podcast
The official podcast of the Academic Freedom Alliance, a nonpartisan and ideologically diverse coalition of faculty members committed to defending free speech in academia. We interview a diverse array of scholars about the latest developments in the academic freedom movement, from breaking news, to precedent-setting court cases, to modern takes on the timeless principles that underlie professorial free speech. Learn more about the AFA at www.AcademicFreedom.org.
Latest episodes
Aug 6, 2021 • 1h 1min
A Conversation with Jonathan Rauch of the Brookings Institution
Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, a contributing editor of The Atlantic, and the author of several books, including The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth. He joins the AFA's Keith Whittington for a conversation on the past and future of free speech, the erosion of trust in institutions, and how to strengthen academic freedom going forward.
Jul 7, 2021 • 1h 7min
Pragmatism v. Principle in the Liberal Approach to Free Speech
A discussion about modern liberal approaches to free speech on campuses. The conversation is hosted by Amna Khalid, Associate Professor in the Department of History at Carleton College, and features AFA members Randall Kennedy and Jonathan Zimmerman. Kennedy is the Michael R. Klein Professor at Harvard Law School and the author of several books, most recently For Discrimination: Race, Affirmative Action, and the Law. Zimmerman is Professor of History of Education and the Judy and Howard Berkowitz Professor in Education at the University of Pennsylvania, and is the author of several books, including his most recent, Free Speech: And Why You Should Give a Damn.
Jun 8, 2021 • 1h 11min
Meriwether v. Shawnee State: Is All Classroom Speech Free Speech?
Jonathan Adler, a constitutional law expert at Case Western Reserve University, Jeannie Suk Gersen, a leading scholar at Harvard Law, and Steve Sanders, a law professor at Indiana University, dive into the pivotal Meriwether v. Shawnee State case. They explore how this ruling is reshaping the conversation around classroom speech and academic freedom, examining the balance between personal views and institutional policies. Their discussion touches on sensitive topics like race, gender, and identity, raising vital questions about free speech rights in academia.
