In Australia, as in other modern western democracies, the right to freedom of speech and inquiry is unquestioned. But do such freedoms exist, simply because we believe in them? This book documents case histories of intellectual suppression occurring within the Australian academic and scientific community. Suppression may involve the blocking of funds, the denial of promotion or publication, outright harassment, the subtle undermining of reputation or, in its most extreme form, dismissal. The editors have all had first-hand experience with suppression cases and have studied the phenomenon extensively.
Brian Martin is emeritus professor of social sciences at the University of Wollongong, Australia. He earned a BA in physics at Rice University in Texas in 1969, and, after emigrating to Australia he earned a PhD in physics at the University of Sydney in 1976.