Democracy, science, and institutionalized dissent: Toward a social justification for academic tenure

Tenure seems to be essential for sustaining intellectual dissent-a foundati onstone of both science and democracy. In order to grasp the significance o f tenure and of academic freedom we need a fuller understanding of the soci ological foundations of freedom. This freedom rests on the objective possib ility of criticizing authority relations and of creating alternative course s of action. We also find that freedom and dissent are central for facing u p to large and powerful organizations in modern society and for resolving s ocial issues through scientific investigation.