Martin Hall’s essay does offer us a way to make better sense of some of the
conceptual and pragmatic links between academic freedom and institutional
autonomy in relation to higher education. His analysis of the classic and contextual
views of the two concepts also gives us some pathways according to which we could
begin to re imagine conceptions of academic freedom and institutional autonomy
constitutive of our own institutions. What I find surprising is his seemingly uncritical
treatment of prominent theoretical positions on which he bases his main claims,
which leaves his arguments somewhat truncated. In this response I raise some of
the issues which I find troubling and also extend existing arguments in defence of
academic freedom and institutional autonomy by making a case for responsible
action.