The Dangers with Dogmas in Higher Education: Revisiting Dewey's Relationship between Purpose, Academic Freedom, Science, and Faith

The tendency to silence higher education teachers and students around the globe who express opinions that others regard as wrong is increasing. This lack of interest in listening to, and at times silencing, people with opposing views raises the question of what makes higher education unique and worth protecting. The aim of this article is to revisit the writings of John Dewey with regard to a) the purpose of higher education; b) the relationship between science, faith, and (academic) freedom; and c) threats to the purpose of academic freedom as a way of being more vigilant towards the current challenges to academic freedom. Drawing on Dewey's writings, the article contributes a conceptual orientation for educators and educational researchers to help them observe nuances in the public space of universities before making judgments drawing on knowledge from the past, an awareness of the human condition as a basis for science and education, and intelligent inquiry.