| Abstract | In this paper I ask whether the University has a special role to play in democratic societies. I argue that the modern University
can no longer lay claim to a research monopoly since nowadays research is conducted in many places outside of the University.
The University can, however, still lay claim to a kind of knowledge monopoly which has to with the central role Universities
play in the definition of what counts as scientific knowledge. The problem is, however, that the University’s knowledge monopoly
is predominantly understood in epistemological terms. This leaves only one role for the University in a democratic society,
viz., that of the expert. Based on ideas from John Dewey and Bruno Latour I suggest a different way to understand the distinction
between ‘scientific’ and ‘everyday’ knowledge. Against this background I argue that the University can contribute towards
the democratisation of knowledge if it articulates the difference between scientific and everyday knowledge in non-epistemological
terms. |
