ABSTRACT
Academic freedom is the freedom of university teachers to perform their academic obligations of teaching and research. Academic freedom may be sustained by the constitution of a society and by the body of judicial decisions. The political freedom of academics extends to political activities outside the university, such as contending for public office on behalf of one or another political party. A required oath of loyalty to the existing regime is a preemptive restriction on the political freedom of academics. University autonomy is frequently associated with academic freedom. The academic ethic includes very important obligations and rights that fall outside the boundaries of academic freedom; the application of strict academic criteria in appointment is one of these obligations. Infringements on academic freedom of one sort or another have occurred in liberal-democratic societies. Freedom of publication derives from the freedom to conduct research because it represents the culmination of research efforts.
