The University as a Site of Agonistic Democracy: Rethinking Pluralism Amid Cultural and Political Conflict

This article reimagines the modern university as a site of agonistic democracy, a political space where disagreement and contestation are treated as essential conditions of democratic vitality rather than problems to be managed. Against the backdrop of intensifying culture wars, debates over academic freedom, and escalating protest politics, it critiques the liberal-deliberative model of the university, which often relies on neutrality, consensus, and procedural regulation to suppress dissent. Built on the agonistic conceptions of Mouffe and Connolly, the article develops a normative model of the “agonistic university,” showing how structured ideological conflict can be institutionalised to protect dissent, foster radical forms of democratic engagement, and channel ideological disputes constructively. This framework contributes to both democratic theory and higher education reform.