Wissenschaftsfreiheit – aktuelle Herausforderungen und Gefährdungslagen

Freedom of science is enshrined as a fundamental right in the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany and has been effectively developed in its various protective dimensions by the BVerfG. Nevertheless, there are always dangers for the freedom of science. At present, they emanate less from the state than from the autonomous scientific community itself, which all too often voluntarily submits to objectives alien to science and accepts scientifically inadequate selection and funding criteria. Here, however, only science itself can take countermeasures and every scientist is called upon to defend the rationality of the science system and thus the freedom of science. In view of the public welfare benefits of free science, it thus also provides society with an important service.