Cancel Culture, Safe Spaces, and Academic Freedom: A Private Property Rights Perspective

Abstract

Science is by definition critical and thrives on discourse. In the literature, it is increasingly pointed out that new challenges arise from social developments and the demand for so-called safe spaces within scientific communities. At first glance, it seems understandable that a cancel culture can impede scientific progress by prohibiting certain thought processes that eventually result in publications, statements, etc. However, we would like to look here at another argument, namely property rights, which are the basis of all civil rights. The aim of the present paper is to analyze the discussion about "safe spaces" in academia from the perspective of ownership and distinguish here two basic cases for the educational system, which come to different conclusions regarding the introduction of safe spaces. We show analytically that cancel culture and safe spaces seem justifiable in a private education system, but can have no place in public, tax-funded universities from the perspective of property ethics. Finally, we transfer our findings to the business context and discuss in the light of private property ethics how entrepreneurs and managers could deal with cancel culture and safe spaces. In this way, our contribution ties into the emerging debate on woke capitalism and business ethics. From the property rights perspective, our findings can help to reduce conflicts in any type of organization.

Keywords: cancel culture, safe space, woke capitalism, property rights, ethics, academia, free speech, libertarianism