Throughout the 20th century, academic freedom was a foundational value for the academy in the United States. The concept of academic freedom pertains to the right of faculty to enjoy considerable autonomy in their research and teaching. The assumption that drives academic freedom is that the country benefits when faculty are able to search for truth without external hindrance, and when they are able to report their findings regardless of what those findings may be. Faculty are evaluated by their peers based on the quality of their ideas, rather than by administrators or legislators for instrumental or ideological reasons. This article delineates the traditional idea of academic freedom, and suggests an alternative framework for thinking about such freedom. This article provides four examples of infringements on academic freedom; discusses the implications of the recent intrusions on academic freedom in relation to the academy; and offers some suggestions about possible responses.