He openly criticized the government for its attempts to stifle academic freedom. As a consequence, in 1875, he lost his chair at the university, which led to what can be seen as his major achievement: the 1876 foundation of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza (Institute of Free Teaching), a private school of higher learning.
He openly criticized the government for its attempts to restrict academic freedom. As a consequence, he lost his university position in 1875, which led to the establishment of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza (Institute of Free Teaching) in 1876, a private school of higher learning.