Page Four TH MICHIGAN DAILY Sunday, April 17, 1955 'ACADEMIC FREEDOM': Kirk's Book Probes Freedom in Colleges By GENE HARTWIG "Academic Freedom" by Russell the real problem: "Which ever knowing anything with certitude." intellectual powers. Academic free- R. KIRK documents his dis- Kirk, Regnery, 1955. construction of academic freedom This is the group which feel that dom belongs to the category of cussion of the "educational may have come to pass in recent "everyone ought always to dissent rights called 'natural rights'. It is levellers" with the case of Prof. RUSSELL KIRK'S new volume years because of timidity about from everything for dissension's sanctioned by custom not statute; Frank Richardson at the Univer- on academic freedom has made expressing political opinions, this sake" and who would convert aca- it is an idea that has reality which sity of Nevada in 1952. Nevada had its appearance in the book shops loss is very small in comparison demic freedom to academic license, like other ideas is more important fallen into the hands of Mr. Min- in time to be the subject of lively with the diminution of true free- To Kirk, the conservative intel- than the ephemeral reality of par- ard W. Stout, a progressive educa- discussion at academic freedom dom of the intellect through a oetuaK author of The Conservative ticular persons and circumstances. tion man experienced In secondary week programs in colleges and deadening but voluntary conform- Mind, "the scholar and teacher Itis a freedom inherited from the school administration. Among his universities across the nation this ity to pragmatic smugness and are Bearers of the Word-that is cesdom and courage of our an- first acts as president of Nevada spring. Another reviewer recently the popular shibboleths of the the conservators and promulgators thisat he set about to reduce entrance K r ith regret that Mr. day." of knowledge in all its forms; they this concept of academic freedom requirements so that all graduates Kirk's title will attract few readers are neither simply hired function- is gravely threatened by a multi- of Nevada high schools, regardless outside the academic community. KIRK takes a dim view of the aries nor simply knights-errant tude of evils at present. of their academic standing might I think Mr. Kirk will have accom- educational indoctrinators, the in the lists." Among these evils he points to enroll in the University. Richard- plished much if his book serves "camp made up of men with radi- "intolerance and the educational son, as chairman of the faculty only to prickthe consciences of cally opposed notions of what doe- KIRK begins his study with a levellers." The intolerant seek to committee on scholastic standing, university administrators, profes- trines ought to be made orthodox, preliminary definition of aca- cut out religion and traditional was disturbed about this. He had soreand students within the who view the scholar and teacher demic freedom as "a security morality from the pursuit of aca- also taken it upon himself to dis- Academies, as servants, hired for money" to against hazards to the pursuit of 'demic truth with the result that tribute to a number of faculty This extended essay in defiml- do the job of imposing a doctrine truth by those persons whose lives since there is no longer a sanction members an article entitled "Aim- iOn goes to the core of the prob- on the students at their feet. He are dedicated to conserving the for truth higher than man, that lessness in Education" which had lem, something seldom accom- takes an equally dim view of the intellectual heritage of the ages sanction must rest with the "ephe- appeared in a recent issue of Sci- plished by liberals and the popular doctrinaire liberals such as Robert and to extending the realm of meral People." Thus the needs of entific Monthly and which criti- press who too often think of aca- M. Hutchins and Prof. Henry knowledge. It is the right, or group the people become the standard cized the decline of the tradi- demic freedom solely in terms of Steele Commager who "think of of rights, intended to make it pos- of right and the sole objects of tional disciplines in American col- the dismissal of subversives from the Academy as a place where pro- sible for certain persons to teach learning and the search for truth leges. faculties and the rights of Com- fessors, like the Sophists, talk per- truthfully and to employ their in the abstract goes out the win- These two acts were sufficient munists to teach. Kirk points up petually of the impossibility of reason to the full extent of their dow. grounds for administrator Stout to summon the recalcitrant pro- fessor before him. Kirk prints part of the text of the interview which susPoliraCSeAoE FROM PURCHASE" m -EUworker than a conversation be- tween a University president and a distinguished member of the faculty. The upshot of Prof. Rich- ardson's disagreement with the president was his dismissal from the University on grounds that he SO light-so easy to carry--had been "insubordinate, undo- operative and 'not in accord with so simple to use (the welfare of the University of Nevada."' Friends of Dr. Richard- son took the case to the Nevada America's most versatile Supreme Court and he was ulti- mately ordered reinstated. The 35mm camera! moral of all this as Kirk sees it is that "Anything which encourages growth of enrollments must be good, in the opinion of the educa- tional levellers; and if a man dis- sents, let him be anathema." ON THE question of the aca- demic man in politics Kirk has this to say. "In general I think that State and Academy should live in separate houses. Only in grave emergencies is the State jus- rO5tified in taking a hand in the Academy's affairs." Kirk upholds cos $3.69 dash $3.80 the right of congressional and This handy 35mm camera gives you all these expen- C PETEstate investigating committees to sive-camera features: f:3.5 color-rrected Cintar C -3 i t-inquire into subversion ' in the lens -the fastest American lens in its price class; Academy to protect the security precision shutter with speeds up to 1/200 second; of the nation, but he doubts the exclusive Color-matic settings; double exposure Takes professional-quality pictures like efficacy of most legislative inves- preventer; plug-in flash gun. And the price is cameras costing hundreds of dollars more! tigations. He cannot understand lower than ever. Come in and see it today Has lens-coupled rangefinder for sharp, hw"rfsoswoaedcrn clear focus. Gear controlled shutter has how "professors who are doctrin- speeds up to 1/300 second. Also has Cintar aire equalitarians can at the same f:3.5 lens; built-in synchronization; Color- time deny the right of a democra- ati settingstic government to make even the most limited inquiry of them." On the other hand he does not sub- scribe to the idea that the public has the right to know the private views of a professor. He also cites the abuse many ee your slides in true, brilliant COOrinstitutions have made of loyalty oaths requiring the professor to New Argus automatic 300-watt projector fix his signature annually as a This new automatic projector does push-ull-and each slide is on the mark of his continued loyalty, everything for you. It shows, screen in big, beautiful color. Has ON THE controversial question changes and stores your slides. You wide-angle four-inch lens; powerful of Communists on the facul- just insert the 36-slide magazine blower for keeping slides cool. ties Kirk takes a reasonable and into the automatic changer. Then at once liberal stand. "I believe $66 O Compee with carrying case that the decision to expel or to and one magazine retain Communists on the staff of an educational institution should be made by the institutional au- thorities, and not by political authority; that conceivably some Communists may be competent professors who neither conspire nor indoctrinate; and that the de- cision as to whether they should be tolerated or dismissed must be made by the proper authorities in each case, without recourse to an invariable rule." In all Mr. Kirk has provided us with a very thought provoking dis- cussion of academic freedom. He is a very thorough and a very per- r csuasive exponent of the conserva- serves a careful reading by the academic community from univer. 1116 S. Universit NO 3-6972 sity president to college freshman, particularly as we begin to observe Academic Freedom week here on campus.