"The voice of logic and reason in everything"

The democratic value of universities from the point of view of university teachers

Abstract

The 2020 Magna Charta Universitatum update signals universities’ commitment to democratic principles (Magna Charta Observatory, 2020). Combining philosophical analysis and interviews with faculty at three universities in Iceland, this study aimed to shed light on different aspects of the democratic value of universities. Recent academic discourse underscores the role of universities in nurturing democracy (Bergan et al., 2016; Daniels, 2021; Goddard, 2009; Goddard et al., 2016; White, 2017). Various threats undermine trust in democratic institutions (Kloubert, 2018; Lührmann et al., 2019; Somer & McCoy, 2019) and tensions exist between universities’ democratic mission and market-driven agendas (Brown, 2015; Giroux, 2018; Nussbaum, 2010). As social constructs, universities are shaped by diverse groups of stakeholders (Sigurður Kristinsson, 2023), including academic faculty. Their ideas can, therefore, shed important light on the democratic value of universities.

Kristinsson’s (Sigurður Kristinsson, 2022) conceptual model was employed in a top-down analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021) of interviews with university teachers, with the aim of illuminating how democracy can be part of the extrinsic and intrinsic value of universities. Twenty-six faculty members from three universities in Iceland were interviewed, reflecting diverse backgrounds in social, natural, and technical sciences.

The interviews brought out ideas of how knowledge creation in universities can lead to better and more ethical decisions, with positive consequences for the quality of decisions and general welfare. In addition, they reflected how universities nurture democraticculture by providing public discourse with objective truths, providing reliable knowledge for informed decision-making in various spheres such as politics, economics, and labour movements. When discussing the fostering of democratic competence and culture, respondents emphasised the importance of educating students about democratic values, critical thinking, and civic engagement. The commitment to truth emerged as crucial, underscoring the importance of ethical knowledge creation independent of special interests. Respondents highlighted universities’ contributory value to democracy by emphasising their role in professional education, in providing expert opinion within public discourse, in civic engagement of faculty, and in securing an impartial venue for public discourse. To a lesser extent, they suggested universities symbolize democratic ideals as realms of freedom and collegial governance. Universities were described as secure zones of free expression and experimentation. Discussions on collegial governance revealed divergent views, suggesting its symbolic value might exceed its practical application, while also highlighting democratic aspects with intrinsic democratic value. Respondents described universities as democratic institutions, albeit with ambivalence about the authenticity and effectiveness of democratic practices. The notion of universities as essential to democracy emerged through the characterization of university staff as “guards” of democracy with a “duty of expression”.

Respondents’ accounts align with Daniels’ (2021) discussion on universities as sources of knowledge amidst societal challenges. They also reflect current emphasis on universities’ direct engagement with local communities, fostering collaboration and dialogue (Bergan et al., 2016; Goddard et al., 2016; Magna Charta Observatory, 2020). The strong commitment to truth resonates with White (2017) and Vilhjálmur Árnason’s (2022) emphasis on universities’ critical function. Critical thinking was said to nurture democratic competencies, in keeping with scholarly discourse (Arendt, 2011; Chambers, 2021; Council of Europe, 2020; Nussbaum, 2010). Respondents’ accounts of contributory value also engage notions of the “civic university” (Goddard et al., 2016). Describing universities as symbols of freedom indicates utopian thought (Rothblatt, 2006). Respondents‘ ambivalence concerning collegial governance as an intrinsic value reflects tensions identified by Kligyte & Barrie (2014) and trends of declining academic citizenship (Feldt et al., 2024; Sørensen, 2015). Referring to universities as “guards” of democracy evokes Jaspers’ (1959) and Habermas’ (1987) perspective on universities as the “intellectual conscience” of society.

Overall, the interviews with faculty indicate how universities can play a vital role in addressing global threats to democracy, and their analysis systematically clarifies the democratic value of critical education and scholarship at universities. These results contain suggestions for university policy and further research.