Issues and controversies in academia

If you listen carefully to the echoes of the City, there's no doubt that the present is a time of debate and controversy. Not a day goes by without a new controversy. Some people may lament this, recalling the blessed era, they may say, when concord reigned supreme and peace of mind was assured. For others, the present times are resolutely democratic, and debate, argument, even controversy, are a tangible and indisputable sign of the vigor of our society. We should therefore be delighted to be living in an age where everyone is finally entitled to a say, and where everyone is now free to express his or her opinion, disagreement or agreement.

Focusing on the academic world, where debate and controversy are commonplace, this management notebook is part of a zeitgeist cursed by some and praised by others.

In the first part, the reality of controversy is illustrated by hiring processes that very quickly turn into a free-for-all. The second part outlines a number of avenues for reflection. Finally, in the last section, classics by Weber and Kant enrich the debate on the role of knowledge in contemporary society.