‘A Central Issue of Our Time’: Academic Freedom in Postwar American Thought

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Nemeth, Julian T.
Language:English
Published: Ohio University / OhioLINK 2007
Subjects:
Online Access:http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1187214780
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spelling ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-ohiou11872147802021-08-03T05:45:25Z ‘A Central Issue of Our Time’: Academic Freedom in Postwar American Thought Nemeth, Julian T. Academic Freedom Arthur Schlesinger Jr. Sidney Hook William Buckley Jr. Russell Kirk American Association of University Professors McCarthyism In the early years of the Cold War, more than one hundred American academics lost their jobs because university administrators suspected them of Communist Party membership. How did intellectuals respond to this crisis? Referring to contemporary books, articles, organizational statements, and correspondence, I argue that disputes over academic freedom helped shatter a tenuous liberal consensus, unite conservatives, and challenge defenses of professorial liberty among academia’s largest professional organization, the American Association of University Professors. Specifically, I show how Sidney Hook and Arthur Schlesinger Jr.’s dispute over academic freedom was representative of larger quarrels among liberals over McCarthyism. Conversely, I demonstrate that conservatives such as William Buckley Jr. and Russell Kirk overcame serious differences on academic freedom to present a united front against liberalism, in and outside of the academy. Finally, I show the difficulty an organization such as the AAUP encounters when defending professional values in a democratic society. 2007-09-28 English text Ohio University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1187214780 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1187214780 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.
collection NDLTD
language English
sources NDLTD
topic Academic Freedom
Arthur Schlesinger Jr.
Sidney Hook
William Buckley Jr.
Russell Kirk
American Association of University Professors
McCarthyism
spellingShingle Academic Freedom
Arthur Schlesinger Jr.
Sidney Hook
William Buckley Jr.
Russell Kirk
American Association of University Professors
McCarthyism
Nemeth, Julian T.
‘A Central Issue of Our Time’: Academic Freedom in Postwar American Thought
author Nemeth, Julian T.
author_facet Nemeth, Julian T.
author_sort Nemeth, Julian T.
title ‘A Central Issue of Our Time’: Academic Freedom in Postwar American Thought
title_short ‘A Central Issue of Our Time’: Academic Freedom in Postwar American Thought
title_full ‘A Central Issue of Our Time’: Academic Freedom in Postwar American Thought
title_fullStr ‘A Central Issue of Our Time’: Academic Freedom in Postwar American Thought
title_full_unstemmed ‘A Central Issue of Our Time’: Academic Freedom in Postwar American Thought
title_sort ‘a central issue of our time’: academic freedom in postwar american thought
publisher Ohio University / OhioLINK
publishDate 2007
url http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1187214780
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