Lehrfreiheit, Lernfreiheit, Wertfreiheit: Max Weber and the University Teachers' Congress in Jena 1908

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the problems that originally caused Weber to develop his doctrine of a value-free science. For Weber, the question of whether one should assert practical evaluations in science, was one of university politics, and could therefore be decided 'only with reference to those tasks which the individual, according to his own set of values, assigns to the universities'. In 1908, Weber participated in the University Teacher's Congress in Jena, where some of Germany's leading scholars had gathered to propose a resolution on academic freedom. The subject was controversial, and the debate that the conference initiated was later to continue in the daily press. Weber's contributions to the discussion deserves attention especially since they shed light on his motives for propagating a value-free science. It will be argued that his campaign for value-freedom must be viewed against the backdrop of contemporary debates on academic freedom.

Re-framing student academic freedom: a capability perspective

“…The aim of Oxford and Cambridge colleges, even during the nineteenth century, was essentially to train young men 'to serve God in Church and State' (Twaddle 1966: 45). Weber's argument for so-called value-free science and for university professors to eschew political opinions when teaching students stems from the university politics which prevailed during the early part of the twentieth century (Josephson 2004). At this time, the universities in Germany were tightly controlled by the state and the influence of the Church was still substantial in relation to professorial appointments.…”

Wolność akademicka jako zawód i powołanie

“…Wolność w tym znaczeniu oznacza prawo do wyrażania przekonań, do których akademicy doszli wyłącznie drogą wytrawnej analizy wyników pracy naukowej, uprzednio pozyskanych przez nich metodami uznawanymi za naukowe. Konkluzje z kongresu w Jenie były -zdaniem Webera -dość ponure (jak podają źródła -opuścił obrady, trzaskając drzwiami) (Josephson 2004). W obawie przed ograniczonymi możliwościami wpływania na treści kształcenia, wprowadzono ideologiczne warunki zatrudnienia na stanowiska akademickie.…”

Student Academic Freedom in Egypt: Perceptions of University Education Students

“…This does not mean that conventional course-based degrees devoid of electives cannot produce breadth of learning but that general education via electives can add a further dimension to the development of students. In its original sense, Lernfreiheit implied that students should be free to roam between institutions of higher education, pursue whichever courses took their fancy, and attend as they wished and not to be subjected to any form of test except for a final examination [32].…”