By W. Cleon Skousen
Editor's note: minor spelling corrections have been made from the original document.
Everyone knows that a legal "right" is meaningless unless it is accompanied by a reciprocal "duty," For example, if I have the legal right to drive on the right hand side of the road, I have the reciprocal duty to stay out of the way of traffic on the left side of the road so others can enjoy their rights. Unless both elements are present, there can be no such thing as "rights."
A similar principle applies to academic freedom. Academic freedom cannot exist unless it is protected by academic responsibility. For example, if a professor of mathematics demanded the academic freedom to deliberately teach false theorems, false equations, false concepts and false calculations, he would be defeating the very purpose for which the academic institution exists. Academic responsibility therefore prohibits any such abuse of academic freedom in order to protect the very existence of the academic institution. Unless this were done the academic community could be destroyed.
The academic responsibility of the Church education system has been clearly outlined by the leaders of the Church. In essence, it is this: "Seek out that which is good and that which is true. Expose and oppose that which is evil and that which is false. Teach the youth correct principles so they can make correct choices."
The "good" and the "true" might be defined as those things which have been designated as such by the Lord and His servants or which have been proven to be such by research or the travail of human experience.
It is obvious that in seeking out that which is good and that which is true, there must be a wide latitude of academic freedom to search, experiment and discuss. There must also be a broad spectrum of academic freedom to probe those areas where neither revelation nor human experience have revealed their secrets. This spectrum must be broad enough to allow the investigator not only to find that which is true, but that which is false. Therefore, we must preserve the freedom to fail and also the freedom to be wrong on occasion.
But this does not imply a right to use academic freedom for the purpose of promoting, popularizing or institutionalizing that which is clearly known to be evil or false. As a matter of fact, in the Church educational system we are trying to get equal time for the Lord. The adversary has a monopoly on practically every channel of mass communications and the dramatic arts. Teachers and administrators in the Church educational system have no obligation whatever to further expose their students to the influence of the adversary. Their responsibility turns firmly in the opposite direction. Things which are established as evil or false should be explained by teachers who know precisely what these fallacies and falsehoods are. The Church has no obligation to provide a platform for those who want to present these evils as something good and desirable. The mandate of academic responsibility given to the teachers and administrators by the prophets of God requires them to exclude the known promoters of falsehood and evil.
Whenever this has not been handled properly it has discredited the teachers or administrators involved because it has destroyed confidence of parents and the Church leaders in the handling of that particular Church educational institution.
A few examples may help to illustrate the application of this principle of academic freedom under the protection of academic responsibility.
| Examples in the area of Broad Academic Freedom where research experimentation and discussion must be carefully protected as we seek out the "good" and the "true." |
Related examples in the area of things known to be "evil" or "false" which should be explained and taught by those who know these evils sufficiently well to help the students avoid them. In this area academic responsibility prohibits the administration and faculty from giving time to those who would deceptively promote or popularize these evils. |
|---|---|
| The science of astronomy | The cult of astrology |
| The study of psychology and human behavior | The pseudo-science of phrenology |
| The solution of economic and social problems within the framework of the Constitution |
Communism, Nazism, or any form of excessive, freedom-destroying government dictatorship |
| Maintaining law and order and achieving needed changes through legitimate channels |
The seeking of social change by violence, rioting, burning, looting and shooting |
| Ways and means of promoting mental and physical health |
Devotees of drug addiction or other types of drug abuse |
| Developing the highest possible standards of morality |
Free-love, coeducational dorms, premarital relations |
| Promoting standards of modesty, beauty, and good taste |
Hippie cult, nudism, extreme styles in hair or dress as symbols of rebellion |
| Cultivating a high standard of speech and vocal expression |
Filthy speech movement |
| Promoting student participation in campus affairs | Students for a Democratic Society, Progressive Liberal Party, etc. |
Notice how these examples answer the need "to know both sides." Church education is designed so that the student can learn the good on the one hand and the evil on the other. These are the two sides. Note, however, that no allowance is made for those who want to hide under the umbrella of academic freedom to present evil as good or good as evil. That will ultimately discredit the whole academic community. This is why academic responsibility must be continually invoked to protect the integrity of the academic profession.
Educators of the past have found that failure to invoke academic responsibility reaps the wrath of tax-payers, tithe-payers, parents, students and boards of trustees.