Freedom for the Social Sciences

For a decade now, and across the world, the humanities and the social sciences have been the focus of disputes, rows, hostile behaviours, even attacks. The simultaneity of such criticisms testifies to the globalization of these sciences but also, conversely, to the world’s gradual closing up (as opposed to the world’s opening up in the globalization process praised at the turn of the millennium) and the returning of authoritarian forms of political power.

The criticisms addressed to the HSS in the name of “utility” fall within the context of international reforms of a neoliberal nature implemented over the past twenty years, aimed at integrating universities into a unified and competitive global knowledge market. This integration imposes cuts in budgets, along with an alignment of universities with the business model and managerial culture, as well as increasingly rigid bureaucratization on the organizational level.

Independently of these reforms that affect them like other sciences, HSS are the target of specific head-on attacks of a political nature close monitoring, even repression) in authoritarian regimes, “illiberal” democracies, but also liberal democracies. With a view to contributing to the ongoing international debate, this issue of Communications takes stock of the criticisms and threats targeting HSS in several countries, in Europe, Africa, Asia and the United States. It also dwells on the epistemology of the SHS and, finally, ponders over and puts forward actions in favour of academic freedom and institutional autonomy, which have become crucial issues in a context where the SHS must regain control over the conditions of their exercise, in response to the threats they are facing today.