Today the concept of academic freedom may seem obvious to Americans. But the roots of academic freedom, which can be traced back to medieval European universities, were never certain. Back then, when scholars demanded autonomy from Church and state, they were often rebuked – or worse.
What began as a slow-burning fuse eventually led to the concept of the modern research university a few centuries later, found in the writing of the English philosopher Francis Bacon and his 1627 novel, New Atlantis. There, Bacon envisioned a college called Salomon’s House, in which scientists and others worked in an atmosphere of generosity and freethinking. This college came to be known as “the noblest foundation (as we think) that ever was upon the earth; and the lantern of this kingdom,” as the Governor of Bacon’s fictional utopia put it. “It is dedicated to the study of the works and creatures of God.”
Twelve of the resident fellows, called “merchants of light,” sailed to foreign countries to bring back books and knowledge from other lands. Several devised experiments in both the “mechanical arts” and the “liberal sciences,” eventually creating such technologies as microscopes and hearing aids. Invention flourished in an ethos of imagination and unfettered investigation. Bacon was a forerunner of the Enlightenment. After centuries of intellectual progress, Americans must face a terrible question: Are we now descending from light into dark?
Since April 22, more than 500 leaders of America’s colleges, universities, and scholarly societies have signed a statement protesting the unprecedented interference of the Trump administration into higher education, interference that included external oversight of admissions criteria, faculty hiring, accreditation, ideological capture, and, in some cases, curriculum. As the statement says, higher education in America is open to constructive reform. However, “we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses.”
Especially targeted by the administration have been international students.
At my university, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at least nine members of our community – students, recent graduates, and postdocs – have had their visas and immigration status unexpectedly revoked. MIT’s president, Sally Kornbluth, recently sent a letter to our community, part of which read:
“To live up to our great mission, MIT is driven to pursue the highest standards of intellectual and creative excellence. That means we are, and must be, in the business of attracting and supporting exceptionally talented people, the kind of people with the drive, skill and daring to see, discover and invent things no one else can. To find those rare people, we open ourselves to talent from every corner of the United States and from around the globe.” In the past, MIT and the many other institutions of higher learning in America have been Bacon’s “merchants of light.”
* This article originally appeared in the April 30, 2025 edition of The Atlantic under the title “The Dark Ages Are Back.” The Atlantic asks that for 60 days after original publication you read the complete article as it was published. The entire article article is currently available in the printed edition of the May/June 2025 Faculty Newsletter, and will be available on our website after June 30, 2025.
