Alfred Ayer to Josip Broz Tito

 

 

Sir Alfred Jules Ayer was a British philosopher known for his promotion of logical positivism. Josip Tito, popularly known as Marshal Tito was instrumental in the independence of Yugoslavia and in dismantling of Nazi war machine in Balkans. Ayer sent the following letter to President Tito on the behalf of the recently organized International Committee of Concern for Academic Freedom in Yugoslavia. In the letter, Alfred Jules Ayer expresses concern over the news of human right violations in the then Yugoslavia, particularly against intellectuals and free think

February 6, 1975

Dear Marshal Tito,

The international community of scholars and scientists feels increasingly concerned about the news of repressive measures against intellectuals and attempts to curtail academic freedom in Yugoslavia. Particularly shocking is the recently introduced law for the Republic of Serbia, abridging the self-management of the universities and authorizing the Parliament to suspend, on political grounds, university teachers from their positions.

It is understood that the introduction of the law is part of a concerted attack on a number of internationally known and respected Marxist philosophers and their students. If the law is applied, it threatens with ruin the entire inner organization of Yugoslav universities, the autonomy and self-management of which has been a pride of the nation and a model for the world at large.

In view of these developments, we in whose names the present letter is written have decided to form a standing International Committee of Concern for Academic Freedom in Yugoslavia. We are friends of the country, who admire Marshal Tito’s achievements for the liberation of the Yugoslav peoples and for the building of a new, democratic and humanist socialism. We should hate to see these achievements ruined by a return to authoritarian and reactionary forms of political management.

The aim of our Committee is to raise the issue of academic freedom in Yugoslavia in all national and international academic institutions and organizations and to keep the news media informed of the developments. The Committee will be in existence as long as repression in Yugoslavia continues.

We regard it as our right and duty to protest any further infringements on academic freedom and violations of the United Nations Charter on human rights in Yugoslavia. In particular, we protest the new amendments to the university law in Serbia and urge Marshal Tito to use his influence and statesmanship to repudiate this law and see that it is not applied. It is our conviction that only by restoring autonomy to the universities and abstaining from repressive measures against the country’s intellectuals can Yugoslavia survive as a respected member of the family of progressive and peace-loving nations.

Yours,

AJA