Akademie en politiek 1

Abstract

The purpose of (his article is to develop a view concerning the relationship between academy and politics, particularly by taking into account the way in which developments in the institutionalised practice of the university are relevant or irrelevant for our understanding of the idea of the university. The specific question which the author addresses is: what are the peculiar characteristics and mutual relevance of the two hum a n activities which we respectively call academy and politics Firstly, he discusses views in temis of which academy and politics are radically separated and in terms of which arguments for the alleged political "neutrality" of the university are developed. Secondly, he identifies three cultural and philosophic developments which, since the advent of modernity, have challenged the viability of such separation. Thirdly, he develops a position which mediates between the extremes of an historical academic elitism and a historisiic ideologising of university and science.