Do Dühring’s tribulations have any lessons for us today?

This is an article about the possible lessons for academic freedom that Dühring’s expulsion from the University of Berlin might have for us today. It begins with a brief discussion of his strange fate in the English language literature in contrast with his high position in the history of economic thought. It is no surprise that questions of the denial of academic freedom have long been discussed. The remainder of the article is devoted to a discussion of academic freedom since his time and the possible lessons these developments might have for us today. The most important of these is the ancient truism – academic freedom is always under attack from many sides and must be vigorously defended.