The question of the university is often envisaged through its relations with power or society as addressees of knowledges elaborated by specialists. This dominant position is questioned by society today. True, independence of knowledge and thought is essential in a democracy. The risk of lyssenkisme or anti-intellectualism is real, but to base the independence and the autonomy on a management in closed circle (“between peers”) increases the distance with society. On the contrary, to ensure a real autonomy, the university has to look for support in the society as political body. This article tries to elaborate the terms of such a democratization.