ABSTRACT
Ideological definitions that give rise to overpoliticization of the university have been around for a long time. The quickly takes people to the heart of how people define education, its meaning and purposes—a necessary first step in assessing whether inappropriate politicization of the university is underway. Education is about being in and of one's society, yes, but it also means being able to stand back, take a hard look and criticize or reaffirm, as the case may be, the way of life of which one is a part. In a world of overheated political demands, education is required to serve all sorts of political and ideological masters and loses its integrity in the process. Education is increasingly defined with reference to diversity or, as it is usually put, multiculturalism. The implication for a definition of education is simply this: a democratic country is uniquely dependent on responsibility and self-limiting freedom.
