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Henry A. irou! " #ublic $ntellectuals Against the %eoliberal &niversity
Tuesday, 29 October 2013 09:16 By Henry A Giroux, Truthout | O!"d
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"The University is a critical institution or it is nothing." ! ,tuart Ha--
$ .ant to be&in .ith the .ords o/ the -ate A/rican!A%erican oet, Audre 0ourde, .ho .as in her
ti%e a /or%idab-e .riter, educator, /e%inist, &ay ri&hts acti1ist and ub-ic inte--ectua- .ho
dis-ayed a re-ent-ess coura&e in addressin& the in2ustices she .itnessed a-- around her3 ,he
.rites:
Poetry is not a luury. !t is a vital necessity of our eistence. !t forms the "uality of the light
within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change# first made into
language# then into idea# then into more tangible action. Poetry is the way we help give name to
the nameless so it can be thought. The farthest hori$ons of our hopes and fears are cobbled by
our poems# carved from the rock eperiences of our daily lives.%
And .hi-e 0ourde re/ers to oetry here, $ thin4 a stron& case can be %ade that the attributes she
ascribes to oetry can a-so be attributed to hi&her education ! a &enuine hi&her education32 $n
this case, an education that inc-udes history, hi-osohy, a-- o/ the arts and hu%anities, the
critica-ity o/ the socia- sciences, the .or-d o/ disco1ery %ade %ani/est by science, and the
trans/or%ations in hea-th and in -a. .rou&ht by the ro/essions that are /unda%enta- to .hat it
%eans to 4no. so%ethin& about the hu%an condition3 'our(e)s (e*ense o* poetry as a mo(e o*
e(ucation is especially crucial *or those o* us who believe that the university is nothing i* it
is not a public trust an( social goo(+ that is a critical institution in*use( with the promise o*
cultivating intellectual insight, the imagination, in-uisitiveness, ris.-ta.ing, social
responsibility an( the struggle *or /ustice. At best, uni1ersities shou-d be at the 5heart o/
intense ub-ic discourse, assionate -earnin& and 1oca- citi)en in1o-1e%ent in the issues o/ the
times353 $t is in the sirit o/ such an idea- that $ /irst .ant to address those -ar&er econo%ic,
socia-, and cu-tura- interests that threaten this notion o/ education, esecia--y hi&her education3
To read more articles by &enry '. (irou and other authors in the Public !ntellectual Project#
click here.
Across the &-obe, the /orces o/ casino caita-is% are on the %arch3 6ith the return o/ the Gi-ded
A&e and its drea% .or-ds o/ consu%tion, ri1ati)ation and dere&u-ation, not on-y are
de%ocratic 1a-ues and socia- rotections at ris4, but the ci1ic and /or%ati1e cu-tures that %a4e
such 1a-ues and rotections crucia- to de%ocratic -i/e are in dan&er o/ disaearin& a-to&ether3
As ub-ic sheres, once en-i1ened by broad en&a&e%ents .ith co%%on concerns, are bein&
trans/or%ed into 5sectacu-ar saces o/ consu%tion,5 the /-i&ht /ro% %utua- ob-i&ations and
socia- resonsibi-ities intensi/ies and has resu-ted in .hat Tony 'udt identi/ies as a 5-oss o/ /aith
in the cu-ture o/ oen de%ocracy357 This -oss o/ /aith in the o.er o/ ub-ic dia-o&ue and dissent
is not unre-ated to the di%inished be-ie/ in hi&her education as centra- to roducin& critica-
citi)ens and a crucia- de%ocratic ub-ic shere in its o.n ri&ht3 At sta4e here is not on-y the
%eanin& and urose o/ hi&her education, but a-so ci1i- society, o-itics and the /ate o/
(emocracy itse-/3 Tho%as 8ran4 is on tar&et .hen he ar&ues that 5O1er the course o/ the ast
/e. decades, the o.er o/ concentrated money has sub1erted ro/essions, destroyed s%a--
in1estors, .rec4ed the re&u-atory state, corruted -e&is-ators en %asse and reeated-y ut the
econo%y throu&h the .rin&er3 9o. it has co%e /or our de%ocracy itse-/35: And, yet, the on-y
;uestions bein& as4ed about 4no.-ed&e roduction, the urose o/ education, the nature o/
o-itics, and our understandin& o/ the /uture are deter%ined -ar&e-y by %ar4et /orces3
The %antras o/ neo-ibera-is% are no. .e-- 4no.n: Go1ern%ent is the rob-e%< ,ociety is a
/iction< ,o1erei&nty is %ar4et!dri1en< =ere&u-ation and co%%odi/ication are 1ehic-es /or
/reedo%< and Hi&her education shou-d ser1e cororate interests rather than the ub-ic &ood3 $n
addition, the yardstic4 o/ ro/it has beco%e the on-y 1iab-e %easure o/ the &ood -i/e, .hi-e ci1ic
en&a&e%ent and ub-ic sheres de1oted to the co%%on &ood are 1ie.ed by %any o-iticians and
their ub-ics as either a hindrance to the &oa-s o/ a %ar4et!dri1en society or a-ibis /or
&o1ern%ent ine//iciency and .aste3
$n a %ar4et!dri1en syste% in .hich econo%ic and o-itica- decisions are re%o1ed /ro% socia-
costs, the *light o/ critica- thou&ht and socia- resonsibi-ity is /urther accentuated by .hat
>y&%unt Bau%an ca--s 5ethica- tran;ui--i)ation356 One resu-t is a /or% o/ deo-itici)ation that
.or4s its .ay throu&h the socia- order, re%o1in& socia- re-ations /ro% the con/i&urations o/
o.er that shae the%, substitutin& .hat 6endy Bro.n ca--s 5e%otiona- and ersona-
1ocabu-aries /or o-itica- ones in /or%u-atin& so-utions to o-itica- rob-e%s356 ?onse;uent-y, it
beco%es di//icu-t /or youn& eo-e too o/ten bere/t o/ a critica- education to trans-ate ri1ate
troub-es into ub-ic concerns3 As ri1ate interests tru% the ub-ic &ood, ub-ic saces are
corroded, and short!ter% ersona- ad1anta&e re-aces any -ar&er notion o/ ci1ic en&a&e%ent and
socia- resonsibi-ity3
@nder such circu%stances, to cite ?3 63 Ai--s, .e are .itnessin& the brea4do.n o/ de%ocracy,
the disaearance o/ critica- inte--ectua-s and 5the co--ase o/ those ub-ic sheres .hich o//er a
sense o/ critica- a&ency and socia- i%a&ination35B Ai--Cs rescient co%%ents a%-i/y .hat has
beco%e a tra&ic rea-ity3 Aissin& /ro% neo-ibera- %ar4et societies are those ub-ic sheres ! /ro%
ub-ic and hi&her education to the %ainstrea% %edia and di&ita- screen cu-ture ! .here eo-e
can de1e-o .hat %i&ht be ca--ed the ci1ic i%a&ination3 8or exa%-e, in the -ast /e. decades, .e
ha1e seen %ar4et %enta-ities atte%t to stri education o/ its ub-ic 1a-ues, critica- content and
ci1ic resonsibi-ities as art o/ its broader &oa- o/ creatin& ne. sub2ects .edded to consu%eris%,
ris4!/ree re-ationshis and the disaearance o/ the socia- state in the na%e o/ indi1idua-,
exanded choice3 Tied -ar&e-y to instru%enta- ideo-o&ies and %easurab-e aradi&%s, %any
institutions o/ hi&her education are no. co%%itted a-%ost exc-usi1e-y to econo%ic &oa-s, such
as rearin& students /or the .or4/orce ! a-- done as art o/ an aea- to rationa-ity, one that
esche.s %atters o/ ine;ua-ity, o.er and the ethica- &ra%%ars o/ su//erin&39 Aany uni1ersities
ha1e not on-y strayed /ro% their de%ocratic %ission, they a-so see% i%%une to the -i&ht o/
students .ho /ace a harsh ne. .or-d o/ hi&h unemployment, the rosect o/ do.n.ard
%obi-ity and debi-itatin& debt3
The ;uestion o/ .hat 4ind o/ education is needed /or students to be in/or%ed and acti1e citi)ens
in a .or-d that increasin&-y i&nores their needs, i/ not their /uture, is rare-y as4ed310 $n the
absence o/ a de%ocratic 1ision o/ schoo-in&, it is not surrisin& that so%e co--e&es and
uni1ersities are increasin&-y oenin& their c-assroo%s to cororate interests, standardi)in& the
curricu-u%, institutin& to!do.n &o1ernin& structures, and &eneratin& courses that ro%ote
entrereneuria- 1a-ues un/ettered by socia- concerns or ethica- conse;uences3 8or exa%-e, one
uni1ersity is o//erin& a %asterCs de&ree to students .ho, in order to /u-/i-- their acade%ic
re;uire%ents, ha1e to co%%it to startin& a hi&h!tech co%any3 Another uni1ersity a--o.s career
o//icers to teach castone research se%inars in the hu%anities3 $n one o/ these c-asses, the
students .ere as4ed to 5de1e-o a 30!second co%%ercia- on their Cersona- brand3C 511 This is
not an ar&u%ent a&ainst career counse-in& or research in hu%anities se%inars, but the con/usion
in co--asin& the t.o3
?entra- to this neo-ibera- 1ie. o/ hi&her education in the @nited ,tates and @nited Din&do% is a
%ar4et!dri1en aradi&% that see4s to e-i%inate tenure, turn the hu%anities into a 2ob rearation
ser1ice, and trans/or% %ost /acu-ty into an ar%y o/ te%orary suba-tern -abor3 8or instance, in
the @nited ,tates out o/ 13: %i--ion /acu-ty %e%bers, 1 %i--ion are 5ad2uncts .ho are earnin&, on
a1era&e, E20,000 a year &ross, .ith no bene/its or hea-thcare, no une%-oy%ent insurance .hen
they are out o/ .or43512 The indentured ser1ice status o/ such /acu-ty is ut on /u-- dis-ay as
so%e co--e&es ha1e resorted to usin& 5te%orary ser1ice a&encies to do their /or%a- hirin&3513
There is -itt-e ta-4 in this 1ie. o/ hi&her education about the history and 1a-ue o/ shared
&o1ernance bet.een /acu-ty and ad%inistrators, nor o/ educatin& students as critica- citi)ens
rather than otentia- e%-oyees o/ 6a-%art3 There are /e. atte%ts to a//ir% /acu-ty as scho-ars
and ub-ic inte--ectua-s .ho ha1e both a %easure o/ autono%y and o.er3 $nstead, /acu-ty
%e%bers are increasin&-y de/ined -ess as inte--ectua-s than as technicians and &rant .riters3
,tudents /are no better in this debased /or% o/ education and are treated as either c-ients or as
rest-ess chi-dren in need o/ hi&h!ener&y entertain%ent ! as .as %ade c-ear in the 2012 Fenn ,tate
scanda-3 ,uch %odes o/ education do not /oster a sense o/ or&ani)ed resonsibi-ity /unda%enta-
to a de%ocracy3 $nstead, they encoura&e .hat %i&ht be ca--ed a sense o/ or&ani)ed
irresonsibi-ity ! a ractice that under-ies the econo%ic =ar.inis% and ci1ic corrution at the
heart o/ a debased o-itics3
Higher 0(ucation an( the 1risis o* 'egitimacy
$n the @nited ,tates and increasin&-y in ?anada, %any o/ the rob-e%s in hi&her education can
be -in4ed to di%inished /undin&, the do%ination o/ uni1ersities by %ar4et %echanis%s, the rise
o/ /or!ro/it co--e&es, the intrusion o/ the nationa- security state, and the di%inished ro-e o/
/acu-ty in &o1ernin& the uni1ersity, a-- o/ .hich both contradict the cu-ture and de%ocratic 1a-ue
o/ hi&her education and %a4es a %oc4ery o/ the 1ery %eanin& and %ission o/ the uni1ersity as a
de%ocratic ub-ic shere3 =ecreased /inancia- suort /or hi&her education stands in shar
contrast to increased suort /or tax bene/its /or the rich, bi& ban4s, the %i-itary and %e&a
cororations3 (ather than en-ar&e the %ora- i%a&ination and critica- caacities o/ students, too
%any uni1ersities are no. encoura&ed to roduce .ou-d!be hed&e /und %ana&ers, deo-itici)ed
students, and %odes o/ education that ro%ote a 5technica--y trained doci-ity3517 $ncreasin&-y
eda&o&y is reduced to -earnin& rei/ied %ethods, a ho--o. %echanistic enterrise di1orced /ro%
understandin& teachin& as a %ora- and inte--ectua- ractice centra- to the creation o/ critica- and
en&a&ed citi)ens3 This reductionist notion o/ eda&o&y .or4s .e-- .ith a /undin& crisis that is
no. used by conser1ati1es as an ideo-o&ica- .eaon to de/und certain disci-ines such as
history, "n&-ish, socio-o&y, anthroo-o&y, %inority studies, &ender studies and -an&ua&e
ro&ra%s3 6hi-e there has ne1er been a &o-den a&e .hen hi&her education .as tru-y -ibera- and
de%ocratic, the current attac4 on hi&her education by re-i&ious /unda%enta-ists, cororate o.er
and the aost-es o/ neo-ibera- caita-is% aears unrecedented in ter%s o/ both its scoe and
intensity31:
@ni1ersities are -osin& their sense o/ ub-ic %ission, 2ust as -eadershi in hi&her education is
bein& stried o/ any 1iab-e de%ocratic 1ision3 $n the @nited ,tates, co--e&e residents are no.
ca--ed ?"Os and %o1e .ithout ao-o&y bet.een inter-oc4in& cororate and acade%ic boards3
6ith /e. excetions, they are raised as /undraisers but rare-y ac4no.-ed&ed /or the ;ua-ity o/
their ideas3 $t &ets .orse3 As Ada% Bessie oints out, 5the discourse o/ hi&her education no.
rese%b-es .hat you %i&ht hear at a board %eetin& at a 9o3 2 enci-!/actory, G.ith its e%hasis
onH: roducti1ity, e//iciency, %etrics, data!dri1en 1a-ue, Ga-- o/H .hich -aces utter, near!re-i&ious
/aith in this hi&h-y technica-, %ar4et!based 1ie. o/ education G.hichH -i4e a-- hu%an enterrises,
can #and %ust+ be ;uanti/ied and e1a-uated nu%erica--y, to identi/y the 5one best .ay,5 .hich
can then be 5sca-ed u,5 or %ass!roduced across the nation, be it 9o3 2 enci-s, aendecto%ies,
or %i-itary drones3516
$n this ne. Gi-ded A&e o/ %oney and ro/it, acade%ic sub2ects &ain stature a-%ost exc-usi1e-y
throu&h their exchan&e 1a-ue on the %ar4et3 Fhar%aceutica- co%anies deter%ine .hat is
researched in -abs and deter%ine .hether research critica- o/ their roducts shou-d be ub-ished3
?ororate &i/ts /-ood into uni1ersities %a4in& %ore and %ore de%ands re&ardin& .hat shou-d be
tau&ht3 Boards o/ Trustees no. hire business -eaders to re/or% uni1ersities in the i%a&e o/ the
%ar4et-ace3 8or!ro/it uni1ersities o//er u a /uture i%a&e o/ the ne. %ode- o/ hi&her
education, characteri)ed by hu&e sa-aries /or %ana&e%ent .hi-e a %ere 51I37 er cent o/ their
annua- re1enue sent on teachin&, .hi-e 20 er cent .as distributed as ro/it #the roortion
sent on %ar4etin& GisH e1en hi&her351I O//erin& subri%e de&rees de1oid o/ any sense o/ ci1ic
urose, -ar&e nu%bers o/ students /ro% %any o/ these /or!ro/it institutions ne1er /inish their
de&ree ro&ra%s and are sadd-ed .ith enor%ous debts3 As ,te/an ?o--ini obser1es, at the
@ni1ersity o/ Fhoenix, o.ned by the Ao--o Grou, 560 ercent 3 3 3 o/ their students droed out
.ithin t.o years, .hi-e o/ those .ho co%-eted their courses, 21 er cent de/au-ted on ayin&
bac4 their -oans .ithin three years o/ /inishin&3 GAoreo1erH, B9 ercent o/ Ao--oCs re1enue
co%es /ro% /edera- student -oans and GAo--oH sends t.ice as %uch on %ar4etin& as on
teachin&351B
6hat haens to education .hen it is treated -i4e a cororationJ 6hat are .e to %a4e o/ the
inte&rity o/ a uni1ersity .hen it accets a %onetary &i/t /ro% o.er/u- cororate interests or rich
atrons de%andin& as art o/ the a&ree%ent the o.er to seci/y .hat is to be tau&ht in a course
or ho. a curricu-u% shou-d be shaedJ ,o%e cororations and uni1ersities no. be-ie1e that
.hat is tau&ht in a course is not an acade%ic decision but a %ar4et consideration3 $n addition,
%any disci-ines are no. 1a-ued a-%ost exc-usi1e-y .ith ho. c-ose-y they a-i&n .ith .hat %i&ht
be euhe%istica--y ca--ed a business cu-ture3 One e&re&ious exa%-e o/ this neo-ibera- aroach
to hi&her education is on /u-- dis-ay in 8-orida, .here Go13 (ic4 ,cottCs tas4 /orce on education
is atte%tin& to i%-e%ent a o-icy that .ou-d -o.er tuition /or de&rees /riend-y to cororate
interests in order to 5steer students to.ard %a2ors that are in de%and in the 2ob %ar4et3519
,cottCs utter-y instru%enta- and anti!inte--ectua- %essa&e is c-ear: 5Gi1e us en&ineers, scientists,
hea-th!care secia-ists and techno-o&y exerts3 =o not .orry so %uch about historians,
hi-osohers, anthroo-o&ists and "n&-ish %a2ors3520
9ot on-y does neo-ibera-is% under%ine both ci1ic education and ub-ic 1a-ues and con/use
education .ith trainin&, it a-so .a&es a .ar on .hat %i&ht be ca--ed the radica- i%a&ination3 8or
instance, thousands o/ students in both the @nited ,tates and ?anada are no. sadd-ed .ith debts
that .i-- ro/ound-y i%act their -i1es and their /utures, -i4e-y /orcin& the% a.ay /ro% ub-ic
ser1ice 2obs because the ay is too -o. to ay o// their educationa- -oans3 ,tudents /ind
the%se-1es in a .or-d in .hich hei&htened exectations ha1e been re-aced by dashed hoes and
a .or-d o/ onerous debt321 ,tru&&-in& to %ere-y sur1i1e, the debt crisis reresents a %assi1e
assau-t on the i%a&ination by -ea1in& -itt-e or no roo% to thin4 other.ise in order to act
other.ise3 =a1id Graeber is ri&ht in insistin& that the student -oan crisis is art o/ a .ar on the
i%a&ination3 He .rites:
,tudent -oans are destroyin& the i%a&ination o/ youth3 $/ thereCs a .ay o/ a society co%%ittin&
%ass suicide, .hat better .ay than to ta4e a-- the youn&est, %ost ener&etic, creati1e, 2oyous
eo-e in your society and sadd-e the% .ith, E:0,000 o/ debt so they ha1e to be s-a1esJ There
&oes your %usic3 There &oes your cu-ture3 3 3 3 And in a .ay, this is .hatCs haened to our
society3 6eCre a society that has -ost the abi-ity to incororate the interestin&, creati1e and
eccentric eo-e322
Kuestions re&ardin& ho. education %i&ht enab-e students to de1e-o a 4een sense o/ rohetic
2ustice, uti-i)e critica- ana-ytica- s4i--s and cu-ti1ate an ethica- sensibi-ity throu&h .hich they
-earn to resect the ri&hts o/ others are beco%in& increasin&-y irre-e1ant in a %ar4et!dri1en
uni1ersity in .hich the ;ua-ity o/ education is so du%bed do.n that too /e. students on ca%us
are rea--y -earnin& ho. to thin4 critica--y, en&a&e in thou&ht/u- dia-o&ue, ush at the /rontiers o/
their i%a&inations, e%-oy historica- ana-yses, and %o1e beyond the dread/u- instru%enta-,
%ind!nu%bin& /or%s o/ instru%enta- rationa-ity bein& ushed by bi--ionaires such as Bi-- Gates,
A%a)onCs 'e// Be)os, 8aceboo4Cs Aar4 >uc4erber& and 9et/-ixCs (eed Hastin&s3 $n this .or-d, 5
a-- hu%an rob-e%s are essentia--y technica- in nature and can be so-1ed throu&h technica-
%eans3523 As the hu%anities and -ibera- arts are do.nsi)ed, ri1ati)ed and co%%odi/ied, hi&her
education /inds itse-/ cau&ht in the aradox o/ c-ai%in& to in1est in the /uture o/ youn& eo-e
.hi-e o//erin& the% /e. inte--ectua-, ci1ic and %ora- suorts327
Hi&her education has a resonsibi-ity not on-y to search /or the truth re&ard-ess o/ .here it %ay
-ead, but a-so to educate students to be caab-e o/ ho-din& authority and o.er accountab-e .hi-e
at the sa%e ti%e sustainin& 5the idea and hoe o/ a ub-ic cu-ture352: Thou&h ;uestions
re&ardin& .hether the uni1ersity shou-d ser1e strict-y ub-ic rather than ri1ate interests no
-on&er carry the .ei&ht o/ /orce/u- criticis% as they did in the ast, such ;uestions are sti--
crucia- in addressin& the urose o/ hi&her education and .hat it %i&ht %ean to i%a&ine the
uni1ersityCs /u-- articiation in ub-ic -i/e as the rotector and ro%oter o/ de%ocratic 1a-ues3
Toni Aorrison is instructi1e in her co%%ent that 2$* the university (oes not ta.e seriously an(
rigorously its role as a guar(ian o* wi(er civic *ree(oms, as interrogator o* more an( more
comple! ethical problems, as servant an( preserver o* (eeper (emocratic practices, then
some other regime or m3nage o* regimes will (o it *or us, in spite o* us, an( without us.2 26

6hat needs to be understood is that hi&her education %ay be one o/ the /e. ub-ic sheres -e/t
.here 4no.-ed&e, 1a-ues, and -earnin& o//er a &-i%se o/ the ro%ise o/ education /or nurturin&
ub-ic 1a-ues, critica- hoe, and .hat %y -ate /riend Fau-o 8reire ca--ed, 5the ractice o/
/reedo%35 $t %ay be the case that e1eryday -i/e is increasin&-y or&ani)ed around %ar4et
rinci-es< but con/usin& a %ar4et!deter%ined society .ith de%ocracy ho--o.s out the -e&acy o/
hi&her education, .hose deeest roots are hi-osohica-, not co%%ercia-3 This is a articu-ar-y
i%ortant insi&ht in a society .here the /ree circu-ation o/ ideas is not on-y bein& re-aced by
%ass!%ediated ideas but .here critica- ideas are increasin&-y 1ie.ed or dis%issed as either
-ibera-, radica-, or e1en seditious3
$n addition, the educationa- /orce o/ the .ider cu-ture, do%inated by the &-ori/ication o/ ce-ebrity
-i/esty-es and a hyer!consu%er society, eretuates a o.er/u- /or% o/ %ass i--iteracy and
%anu/actured idiocy, .itness the suort /or Ted ?ru) and Aiche--e Bach%ann in A%erican
o-itics, i/ not the racist, reactionary and anti!inte--ectua- Tea Farty3 This %anu/actured stuidity
does %ore than deo-itici)e the ub-ic3 To arahrase Hannah Arendt, it reresents an assau-t on
the 1ery ossibi-ity o/ thin4in& itse-/3 9ot surrisin&-y, inte--ectua-s .ho en&a&e in dissent and
54ee the idea and hoe o/ a ub-ic cu-ture a-i1e,52I are o/ten dis%issed as irre-e1ant, extre%ist,
e-itist or un!A%erican3 As a resu-t, .e no. -i1e in a .or-d in .hich the o-itics o/ disi%a&ination
do%inates< ub-ic discourses that bears .itness to a critica- and a-ternati1e sense o/ the .or-d are
o/ten dis%issed because they do not ad1ance econo%ic interests3
$n a dystoian society, utoian thou&ht beco%es steri-e, and arahrasin& Theodor Adorno,
thin4in& beco%es an act o/ utter stuidity3 Anti!ub-ic inte--ectua-s no. de/ine the -ar&er
cu-tura- -andscae, a-- too .i--in& to /-aunt co!otion and rea the re.ards o/ 1entin& insu-ts at
their assi&ned oonents .hi-e bein& reduced to the status o/ aid ser1ants o/ o.er/u- econo%ic
interests3 But the rob-e% is not si%-y .ith the rise o/ a ri&ht!.in& cu-tura- aaratus dedicated
to reser1in& the o.er and .ea-th o/ the rich and cororate e-ite3 As ,tuart Ha-- recent-y
re%ar4ed, the state o/ ro&ressi1e thou&ht is a-so in 2eoardy in that, as he uts it, 5The -e/t is in
troub-e3 $tCs not &ot any ideas, itCs not &ot any indeendent ana-ysis o/ its o.n, and there/ore, itCs
&ot no 1ision3 $t 2ust ta4es the te%erature 3 3 3 $t has no sense o/ o-itics bein& educati1e, o/
o-itics chan&in& the .ay eo-e see thin&s352B O/ course, Ha-- is not su&&estin& the -e/t has no
ideas to sea4 o/3 He is su&&estin& that such ideas are re%o1ed /ro% the -ar&er issue o/ .hat it
%eans to address education and the roduction and recetion o/ %eanin&/u- ideas as a %ode o/
eda&o&y that is centra- to o-itics itse-/3
The issue o/ o-itics bein& educati1e, o/ reco&ni)in& that %atters o/ eda&o&y, sub2ecti1ity and
consciousness are at the heart o/ o-itica- and %ora- concerns, shou-d not be -ost on acade%ics3
9or shou-d the re-e1ance o/ education bein& at the heart o/ o-itics be -ost on those o/ us
concerned about in1itin& the ub-ic bac4 into hi&her education and rethin4in& the urose and
%eanin& o/ hi&her education itse-/3 4emocracy places civic (eman(s upon its citi5ens, an(
such (eman(s point to the necessity o* an e(ucation that is broa(-base(, critical an(
supportive o* meaning*ul civic values, participation in sel*-governance an( (emocratic
lea(ership. 6nly through such a *ormative an( critical e(ucational culture can stu(ents
learn how to become in(ivi(ual an( social agents, rather than (isengage( spectators or
uncritical consumers, able both to thin. otherwise an( to act upon civic commitments that
2necessitate a reor(ering o* basic power arrangements2 *un(amental to promoting the
common goo( an( pro(ucing a strong (emocracy. This is not a %atter o/ i%osin& 1a-ues on
education and in our c-assroo%s3 The uni1ersity and the c-assroo% are a-ready de/ined throu&h
o.er!-aden discourses and a %yriad o/ 1a-ues that are o/ten art o/ the hidden curricu-u% o/
educationa- o-itics and eda&o&y3 A %ore accurate osition .ou-d be, as Toni Aorrison oints
out, to ta4e u our resonsibi-ity 5as citi)en*scho-ars in the uni1ersity GandH to accet the
conse;uences o/ our o.n 1a-ue!redo-ent ro-es35 ,he continues: 50i4e it or not, .e are aradi&%s
o/ our o.n 1a-ues, ad1ertise%ents o/ our o.n ethics ! esecia--y noticeab-e .hen .e resu%e to
/oster ethics!/ree, 1a-ue!-ite education3529
4reaming the $mpossible
(ec-ai%in& hi&her education as a de%ocratic ub-ic shere be&ins .ith the crucia- reco&nition
that education is not so-e-y about 2ob trainin& and the roduction o/ ethica--y cha--en&ed
entrereneuria- sub2ects, but a-so about %atters o/ ci1ic en&a&e%ent, critica- thin4in&, ci1ic
-iteracy and the caacity /or de%ocratic a&ency, action and chan&e3 $t is a-so inextricab-y
connected to the re-ated issues o/ o.er, inc-usion, and socia- resonsibi-ity330 8or exa%-e,
Aartin 0uther Din&, 'r3 reco&ni)ed c-ear-y that .hen %atters o/ socia- resonsibi-ity are re%o1ed
/ro% %atters o/ a&ency and o-itics, de%ocracy itse-/ is di%inished3 He .rites:
6hen an indi1idua- is no -on&er a true articiant, .hen he no -on&er /ee-s a sense o/
resonsibi-ity to his society, the content o/ de%ocracy is e%tied3 6hen cu-ture is de&raded and
1u-&arity enthroned, .hen the socia- syste% does not bui-d security but induces eri-, inexorab-y
the indi1idua- is i%e--ed to u-- a.ay /ro% a sou--ess society331
$/ youn& eo-e are to de1e-o a dee resect /or others, a 4een sense o/ socia- resonsibi-ity, as
.e-- as an in/or%ed notion o/ ci1ic en&a&e%ent, eda&o&y %ust be 1ie.ed as the cu-tura-,
o-itica- and %ora- /orce that ro1ides the 4no.-ed&e, 1a-ues and socia- re-ations to %a4e such
de%ocratic ractices ossib-e3 ?entra- to such a cha--en&e is the need to osition inte--ectua-
ractice 5as art o/ an intricate .eb o/ %ora-ity, ri&or and resonsibi-ity5 that enab-es acade%ics
to sea4 .ith con1iction, enter the ub-ic shere to address i%ortant socia- rob-e%s, and
de%onstrate a-ternati1e %ode-s /or brid&in& the &a bet.een hi&her education and the broader
society332 ?onnecti1e ties are crucia- in that it is essentia- to de1e-o inte--ectua- ractices that
are co--e&ia- rather than co%etiti1e, re/use the instru%enta-ity and ri1i-e&ed iso-ation o/ the
acade%y, -in4 critica- thou&ht to a ro/ound i%atience .ith the status ;uo, and connect hu%an
a&ency to the idea o/ socia- resonsibi-ity and the o-itics o/ ossibi-ity3
$ncreasin&-y, as uni1ersities are shaed by an audit cu-ture, the ca-- to be ob2ecti1e and i%artia-,
.hate1er oneCs intentions, can easi-y echo .hat Geor&e Or.e-- ca--ed the o//icia- truth or the
estab-ish%ent oint o/ 1ie.3 0ac4in& a se-/!conscious-y de%ocratic o-itica- /ocus, teachers are
o/ten reduced, or reduce the%se-1es, to the ro-e o/ a technician or /unctionary en&a&ed in
/or%a-istic ritua-s, unconcerned .ith the disturbin& and ur&ent rob-e%s that con/ront the -ar&er
society or the conse;uences o/ oneCs eda&o&ica- ractices and research underta4in&s3 Hidin&
behind aea-s to ba-ance and ob2ecti1ity, too %any scho-ars re/use to reco&ni)e that bein&
co%%itted to so%ethin& does not cance- out .hat ?3 6ri&ht Ai--s once ca--ed hard thin4in&3
Teachin& needs to be ri&orous, se-/!re/-ecti1e, and co%%itted not to the dead )one o/
instru%enta- rationa-ity but to the ractice o/ /reedo%, to a critica- sensibi-ity caab-e o/
ad1ancin& the ara%eters o/ 4no.-ed&e, addressin& crucia- socia- issues, and connectin& ri1ate
troub-es and ub-ic issues3
$n oosition to the instru%enta- %ode- o/ teachin&, .ith its conceit o/ o-itica- neutra-ity and its
/etishi)ation o/ %easure%ent, $ ar&ue that acade%ics shou-d co%bine the %utua--y
interdeendent ro-es o/ critica- educator and acti1e citi)en3 This re;uires /indin& .ays to connect
the ractice o/ c-assroo% teachin& .ith i%ortant socia- rob-e%s and the oeration o/ o.er in
the -ar&er society .hi-e ro1idin& the conditions /or students to 1ie. the%se-1es as critica-
a&ents caab-e o/ %a4in& those .ho exercise authority and o.er ans.erab-e /or their actions3
Hi&her education cannot be decou-ed /ro% .hat 'ac;ues =errida ca--s a de%ocracy to co%e,
that is, a de%ocracy that %ust a-.ays 5be oen to the ossibi-ity o/ bein& contested, o/ contestin&
itse-/, o/ critici)in& and inde/inite-y i%ro1in& itse-/3533 6ithin this ro2ect o/ ossibi-ity and
i%ossibi-ity, critica- eda&o&y %ust be understood as a de-iberate-y in/or%ed and urose/u-
o-itica- and %ora- ractice, as oosed to one that is either doctrinaire, instru%enta-i)ed or both3
Aoreo1er, a critica- eda&o&y shou-d a-so &ain art o/ its %o%entu% in hi&her education a%on&
students .ho .i-- &o bac4 to the schoo-s, churches, syna&o&ues and .or4-aces to roduce ne.
ideas, concets and critica- .ays o/ understandin& the .or-d in .hich youn& eo-e and adu-ts
-i1e3 This is a notion o/ inte--ectua- ractice and resonsibi-ity that re/uses the ro/essiona-
neutra-ity and ri1i-e&ed iso-ation o/ the acade%y3 $t a-so a//ir%s a broader 1ision o/ -earnin&
that -in4s 4no.-ed&e to the o.er o/ se-/!de/inition and to the caacities o/ students to exand
the scoe o/ de%ocratic /reedo%s, articu-ar-y those that address the crisis o/ education, o-itics,
and the socia- as art and arce- o/ the crisis o/ de%ocracy itse-/3
$n order /or critica- eda&o&y, dia-o&ue and thou&ht to ha1e rea- e//ects, they %ust ad1ocate that
a-- citi)ens, o-d and youn&, are e;ua--y entit-ed, i/ not e;ua--y e%o.ered, to shae the society in
.hich they -i1e3 This is a co%%it%ent .e heard articu-ated by the bra1e students .ho /ou&ht
tuition hi4es and the destruction o/ ci1i- -iberties and socia- ro1isions in Kuebec and to a -esser
de&ree in the Occuy 6a-- ,treet %o1e%ent3 $* e(ucators are to *unction as public
intellectuals, they nee( to listen to young people who are pro(ucing a new language in
or(er to tal. about ine-uality an( power relations, attempting to create alternative
(emocratic public spaces, rethin.ing the very nature o* politics, an( as.ing serious
-uestions about what (emocracy is an( why it no longer e!ists in many neoliberal societies.
7hese young people who are protesting the 18 recogni5e that they have been written out o*
the (iscourses o* /ustice, e-uality an( (emocracy an( are not only resisting how
neoliberalism has ma(e them e!pen(able, they are arguing *or a collective *uture very
(i**erent *rom the one that is on (isplay in the current political an( economic systems in
which they *eel trappe(. 7hese brave youth are insisting that the relationship between
.nowle(ge an( power can be emancipatory, that their histories an( e!periences matter, an(
that what they say an( (o counts in their struggle to unlearn (ominating privileges,
pro(uctively reconstruct their relations with others, an( trans*orm, when necessary, the
worl( aroun( them.
A-thou&h there are sti-- a nu%ber o/ acade%ics such as 9oa% ?ho%s4y, An&e-a =a1is, 'ohn
(a.-ston ,au-, Bi-- AcDibben, Ger%aine Greer and ?orne- 6est .ho /unction as ub-ic
inte--ectua-s, they are o/ten shut out o/ the %ainstrea% %edia or characteri)ed as %ar&ina-,
uninte--i&ib-e, and so%eti%es as unatriotic /i&ures3 At the sa%e ti%e, %any acade%ics /ind
the%se-1es -aborin& under horrendous .or4in& conditions that either donCt a--o. the% to .rite in
a theoretica--y ri&orous and accessib-e %anner /or the ub-ic because they do not ha1e ti%e !
&i1en the o/ten intensi1e teachin& de%ands o/ art!ti%e acade%ics and increasin&-y o/ /u--!ti%e,
non!tenured acade%ics as .e--3 Or they retreat into a 4ind o/ theoreticis% in .hich theory
beco%es -i/e-ess, detached /ro% any -ar&er ro2ect or the rea-% o/ .or-d-y issues3 $n this
instance, the notion o/ theory as a resource, i/ not theoretica- ri&or itse-/, are trans/or%ed into a
bad&e o/ acade%ic c-e1erness shorn o/ the ossibi-ity o/ ad1ancin& thou&ht .ithin the acade%y
or reachin& a -ar&er audience outside o/ their acade%ic disci-ines3
?onse;uent-y, such inte--ectua-s o/ten exist in her%etic acade%ic bubb-es cut o// /ro% both the
-ar&er ub-ic and the i%ortant issues that i%act society3 To no s%a-- de&ree, they ha1e been
co%-icit in the trans/or%ation o/ the uni1ersity into an ad2unct o/ cororate o.er3 ,uch
acade%ics run the ris4 o/ not on-y beco%in& incaab-e o/ de/endin& hi&her education as a 1ita-
ub-ic shere, but a-so o/ ha1in& any say o1er the conditions o/ their o.n inte--ectua- -abor3
6ithout their inter1ention as ub-ic inte--ectua-s, the uni1ersity de/au-ts on its ro-e as a
de%ocratic ub-ic shere .i--in& to roduce an in/or%ed ub-ic, enact and sustain a cu-ture o/
;uestionin&, and enab-e a critica- /or%ati1e cu-ture caab-e o/ roducin& citi)ens 5.ho are
critica- thin4ers caab-e o/ uttin& existin& institutions into ;uestion so that de%ocracy a&ain
beco%es societyCs %o1e%ent3537
Be/ore his unti%e-y death, "d.ard ,aid, hi%se-/ an exe%-ary ub-ic inte--ectua-, ur&ed his
co--ea&ues in the acade%y to con/ront direct-y those socia- hardshis that dis/i&ure conte%orary
society and ose a serious threat to the ro%ise o/ de%ocracy33: He ur&ed the% to assu%e the
ro-e o/ ub-ic inte--ectua-s, .a4e/u- and %ind/u- o/ their resonsibi-ities to bear testi%ony to
hu%an su//erin& and the eda&o&ica- ossibi-ities at .or4 in educatin& students to be
autono%ous, se-/!re/-ecti1e and socia--y resonsib-e3 ,aid re2ected the notion o/ a %ar4et!dri1en
eda&o&y that, -ac4in& a de%ocratic ro2ect, .as steeed in the discourse o/ instru%enta-
rationa-ity and /ixated on %easure%ent3 He insisted that .hen eda&o&y is ta4en u as a
%echanistic underta4in&, it -oses any understandin& o/ .hat it %eans /or students to 5be
thou&ht/u-, -ayered, co%-ex, critica- thin4erGsH3536 8or ,aid, such %ethodo-o&ica- rei/ication
.as antithetica- to a eda&o&y rooted in the ractice o/ /reedo% and attenti1e to the need to
construct critica- a&ents, de%ocratic 1a-ues and %odes o/ critica- in;uiry3 On the contrary, he
1ie.ed it as a %ode o/ trainin& %ore suitab-e to creatin& cheer/u- robots and -e&iti%atin&
or&ani)ed rec4-essness and -e&a-i)ed i--e&a-ities3
The /a%ed econo%ist, 6i--ia% B-ac4 &oes so /ar as to ar&ue that such stried do.n eda&o&ies
are resonsib-e /or creatin& .hat he ca--s cri%ino&enic cu-tures, esecia--y in business schoo-s
and econo%ics deart%ents at a nu%ber o/ $1y 0ea&ue uni1ersities3 An indication o/ this
cro.nin& dis&race can be /ound in the Oscar!.innin& docu%entary, !nside )ob, .hich sho.ed
ho. 6a-- ,treet bou&ht o// hi&h ro/i-e econo%ists /ro% Har1ard, La-e, A$T and ?o-u%bia
@ni1ersity3 8or instance, G-enn Hubbard, dean o/ ?o-u%bia Business ,choo-, and Aartin
8e-dstein o/ Har1ard &ot hu&e ayo//s /ro% a nu%ber o/ /inancia- /ir%s and .rote acade%ic
aers or oinion ieces /a1orin& dere&u-ation, .hi-e re/usin& to dec-are that they .ere on the
ayro-- o/ Aet 0i/e, Go-d%an ,achs or Aerri-- 0ynch33I
$n oosition to such a debased 1ie. o/ educationa- en&a&e%ent, ,aid ar&ued /or .hat he ca--ed
a eda&o&y o/ .a4e/u-ness3 $n de/inin& and exandin& on ,aidCs eda&o&y o/ .a4e/u-ness, and
ho. it shaed his i%ortant consideration o/ acade%ics as ub-ic inte--ectua-s, $ be&in .ith a
assa&e that $ thin4 o//ers tre%endous insi&ht on the ethica- and o-itica- /orce o/ %uch o/ his
.ritin&3 This se-ection is ta4en /ro% his %e%oir, *ut of Place, .hich describes the -ast /e.
%onths o/ his %otherCs -i/e in a 9e. Lor4 hosita- and the di//icu-t ti%e she had /a--in& as-ee
because o/ the cancer that .as ra1a&in& her body3 (eca--in& this trau%atic and i1ota- -i/e
exerience, ,aidCs %editation %o1es bet.een the existentia- and the insur&ent, bet.een ri1ate
ain and .or-d-y co%%it%ent, bet.een the seductions o/ a 5so-id se-/5 and the rea-ity o/ a
contradictory, ;uestionin&, rest-ess, and at ti%es, uneasy sense o/ identity3 He .rites:
CHe- %e to s-ee, "d.ard,C she once said to %e .ith a iteous tre%b-in& in her 1oice that $ can
sti-- hear as $ .rite3 But then the disease sread into her brain ! and /or the -ast six .ee4s she
s-et a-- the ti%e ! %y o.n inabi-ity to s-ee %ay be her -ast -e&acy to %e, a counter to her
stru&&-e /or s-ee3 8or %e s-ee is so%ethin& to be &otten o1er as ;uic4-y as ossib-e3 $ can on-y
&o to bed 1ery -ate, but $ a% -itera--y u at da.n3 0i4e her $ donCt ossess the secret o/ -on& s-ee,
thou&h un-i4e her $ ha1e reached the oint .here $ do not .ant it3 8or %e, s-ee is death, as is
any di%inish%ent in a.areness3 3 3 3 ,-ee-essness /or %e is a cherished state to be desired at
a-%ost any cost< there is nothin& /or %e as in1i&oratin& as i%%ediate-y sheddin& the shado.y
ha-/!consciousness o/ a ni&htCs -oss than the ear-y %ornin&, reac;uaintin& %yse-/ .ith or
resu%in& .hat $ %i&ht ha1e -ost co%-ete-y a /e. hours ear-ier3 $ occasiona--y exerience %yse-/
as a c-uster o/ /-o.in& currents3 $ re/er this to the idea o/ a so-id se-/, the identity to .hich so
%any attach so %uch si&ni/icance3 These currents -i4e the the%es o/ oneCs -i/e, /-o. a-on& durin&
the .a4in& hours, and at their best, they re;uire no reconci-in&, no har%oni)in&3 They are Co//C
and %ay be out o/ -ace, but at -east they are a-.ays in %otion, in ti%e, in -ace, in the /or% o/
a-- 4inds o/ stran&e co%binations %o1in& about, not necessari-y /or.ard, so%eti%es a&ainst each
other, contraunta--y yet .ithout one centra- the%e3 A /or% o/ /reedo%, $ -i4e to thin4, e1en i/ $
a% /ar /ro% bein& tota--y con1inced that it is3 That s4eticis% too is one o/ the the%es $
articu-ar-y .ant to ho-d on to3 6ith so %any dissonances in %y -i/e $ ha1e -earned actua--y to
re/er bein& not ;uite ri&ht and out o/ -ace33B
,aid osits here an antidote to the seductions o/ con/or%ity and the -ure o/ cororate %oney that
insures, as $r1in& Ho.e once ointed out caustica--y, 5an honored -ace /or the inte--ectua-s3539
8or ,aid, it is a sense o/ bein& a.a4e, dis-aced, cau&ht in a co%bination o/ contradictory
circu%stances that su&&ests a eda&o&y that is cos%oo-itan and i%a&inati1e ! a ub-ic!a//ir%in&
eda&o&y that de%ands a critica- and en&a&ed interaction .ith the .or-d .e -i1e in %ediated by
a resonsibi-ity /or cha--en&in& structures o/ do%ination and /or a--e1iatin& hu%an su//erin&3
This is a eda&o&y that addresses the needs o/ %u-ti-e ub-ics3 As an ethica- and o-itica-
ractice, a ub-ic eda&o&y o/ .a4e/u-ness re2ects %odes o/ education re%o1ed /ro% o-itica- or
socia- concerns, di1orced /ro% history and %atters o/ in2ury and in2ustice3 ,aidCs notion o/ a
eda&o&y o/ .a4e/u-ness inc-udes 5-i/tin& co%-ex ideas into the ub-ic sace,5 reco&ni)in&
hu%an in2ury inside and outside o/ the acade%y, and usin& theory as a /or% o/ criticis% to
chan&e thin&s370 This is a eda&o&y in .hich acade%ics are neither a/raid o/ contro1ersy nor the
.i--in&ness to %a4e connections bet.een ri1ate issues and broader e-e%ents o/ societyCs
rob-e%s that are other.ise hidden3
8or ,aid, bein& a.a4e beco%es a centra- %etahor /or de/inin& the ro-e o/ acade%ics as ub-ic
inte--ectua-s, de/endin& the uni1ersity as a crucia- ub-ic shere, en&a&in& ho. cu-ture de-oys
o.er, and ta4in& serious-y the idea o/ hu%an interdeendence .hi-e a-.ays -i1in& on the border
! one /oot in and one /oot out, an exi-e and an insider /or .ho% ho%e .as a-.ays a /or% o/
ho%e-essness3 As a re-ent-ess border crosser, ,aid e%braced the idea o/ the 5tra1e-er5 as an
i%ortant %etahor /or en&a&ed inte--ectua-s3 As ,tehen Ho.e, re/erencin& ,aid, oints out, 5$t
.as an i%a&e .hich deended not on o.er, but on %otion, on darin& to &o into di//erent
.or-ds, use di//erent -an&ua&es, and Cunderstand a %u-ti-icity o/ dis&uises, %as4s, and rhetorics3
Tra1e-ers %ust susend the c-ai% o/ custo%ary routine in order to -i1e in ne. rhyth%s and
ritua-s 3 3 3 the tra1e-er crosses o1er, tra1erses territory and abandons /ixed ositions a-- the
ti%e3571 And as a border inte--ectua- and tra1e-er, ,aid e%bodied the notion o/ a-.ays 5bein&
;uite not ri&ht,5 e1ident by his rinci-ed criti;ue o/ a-- /or%s o/ certainties and do&%as and his
re/usa- to be si-ent in the /ace o/ hu%an su//erin& at ho%e and abroad3
Bein& a.a4e %eant re/usin& the no. ou-ar sort o/ acade%ic bashin& or e%bracin& a crude
ca-- /or action at the exense o/ ri&orous inte--ectua- and theoretica- .or43 On the contrary, it
%eant co%binin& ri&or and c-arity, on the one hand, and ci1ic coura&e and o-itica- co%%it%ent,
on the other3 A eda&o&y o/ .a4e/u-ness %eant usin& theoretica- archi1es as resources,
reco&ni)in& the .or-d-y sace o/ criticis% as the de%ocratic underinnin& o/ ub-icness,
de/inin& critica- -iteracy not %ere-y as a co%etency, but as an act o/ interretation -in4ed to the
ossibi-ity o/ inter1ention in the .or-d3 $t ointed to a 4ind o/ border -iteracy in the -ura- in
.hich eo-e -earned to read and .rite /ro% %u-ti-e ositions o/ a&ency< it a-so .as indebted to
the reco&nition /orcib-y stated by Hannah Arendt that 56ithout a o-itica--y &uaranteed ub-ic
rea-%, /reedo% -ac4s the .or-d-y sace to %a4e its aearance3572
$ be-ie1e that ,aid .as ri&ht in insistin& that inte--ectua-s ha1e a resonsibi-ity to unsett-e o.er,
troub-e consensus and cha--en&e co%%on sense3 The 1ery notion o/ bein& an en&a&ed ub-ic
inte--ectua- is neither /orei&n to, nor a 1io-ation o/, .hat it %eans to be an acade%ic scho-ar, but
centra- to its 1ery de/inition3 Accordin& to ,aid, acade%ics ha1e a duty to enter into the ub-ic
shere una/raid to ta4e ositions and &enerate contro1ersy, /unctionin& as %ora- .itnesses,
raisin& o-itica- a.areness, %a4in& connections to those e-e%ents o/ o.er and o-itics o/ten
hidden /ro% ub-ic 1ie., and re%indin& 5the audience o/ the %ora- ;uestions that %ay be hidden
in the c-a%or and din o/ the ub-ic debate3573 ,aid a-so critici)ed those acade%ics .ho retreat
into a ne. do&%atis% o/ the disinterested secia-ist that searates the% 5not on-y /ro% the ub-ic
shere but /ro% other ro/essiona-s .ho donCt use the sa%e 2ar&on3577 This .as esecia--y
unsett-in& to hi% at a ti%e .hen co%-ex -an&ua&e and critica- thou&ht re%ained under assau-t in
the -ar&er society by a-- %anner o/ antide%ocratic and anti!inte--ectua- /orces3 But there is %ore
at sta4e here than a retreat into discourses that turn theory into a %echanica- act o/ acade%ic
re/erencin&, there is a-so the retreat o/ inte--ectua-s /ro% bein& ab-e to de/end the ub-ic 1a-ues
and de%ocratic %ission o/ hi&her education3 Or, as $r1in& Ho.e ut it, 5inte--ectua-s ha1e, by
and -ar&e, sho.n a ain/u- -ac4 o/ %i-itancy in de/endin& the ri&hts .hich are a recondition o/
their existence357:
The 1ie. o/ hi&her education as a de%ocratic ub-ic shere co%%itted to roducin& youn&
eo-e caab-e and .i--in& to exand and deeen their sense o/ the%se-1es, to thin4 o/ the
5.or-d5 critica--y, 5to i%a&ine so%ethin& other than their o.n .e--!bein&,5 to ser1e the ub-ic
&ood, ta4e ris4s and stru&&-e /or a substanti1e de%ocracy has been in a state o/ acute crisis /or
the -ast 30 years376 6hen /acu-ty assu%e, in this context, their ci1ic resonsibi-ity to educate
students to thin4 critica--y, act .ith con1iction and connect .hat they -earn in c-assroo%s to
i%ortant socia- issues in the -ar&er society, they are hounded by those .ho de%and 5%easurab-e
student outco%es,5 as i/ dee -earnin& brea4s do.n into such discrete and ;uanti/iab-e units3
6hat do the -ibera- arts and hu%anities a%ount to i/ they do not teach the ractice o/ /reedo%,
esecia--y at a ti%e .hen trainin& is substituted /or educationJ Gayatri ,i1a4 ro1ides a
context /or this ;uestion .ith her co%%ent: 5?an one insist on the i%ortance o/ trainin& in Gin
hi&her educationH in GaH ti%e o/ -e&iti%i)ed 1io-enceJ57I
$n a society that re%ains troub-in&-y resistant to or incaab-e o/ ;uestionin& itse-/, one that
ce-ebrates the consu%er o1er the citi)en and a-- too .i--in&-y endorses the narro. 1a-ues and
interests o/ cororate o.er, the i%ortance o/ the uni1ersity as a -ace o/ critica- -earnin&,
dia-o&ue and socia- 2ustice ad1ocacy beco%es a-- the %ore i%erati1e3 Aoreo1er, the distincti1e
ro-e that /acu-ty -ay in this on&oin& eda&o&ica- ro2ect o/ shain& the critica- rationa-ities
throu&h .hich a&ency is de/ined and ci1ic -iteracy and cu-ture roduced, a-on& .ith suort /or
the institutiona- conditions and re-ations o/ o.er that %a4e the% ossib-e, %ust be de/ended as
art o/ a broader discourse o/ exce--ence, e;uity, and de%ocracy3
Hi&her education reresents one o/ the %ost i%ortant sites o1er .hich the batt-e /or de%ocracy
is bein& .a&ed3 $t is the site .here the ro%ise o/ a better /uture e%er&es out o/ those 1isions
and eda&o&ica- ractices that co%bine hoe, a&ency, o-itics and %ora- resonsibi-ity as art o/
a broader e%anciatory discourse3 Acade%ics ha1e a distinct and uni;ue ob-i&ation, i/ not
o-itica- and ethica- resonsibi-ity, to %a4e -earnin& re-e1ant to the i%erati1es o/ a disci-ine,
scho-ar-y %ethod, or research secia-i)ation3 But %ore i%ortant-y, acade%ics as en&a&ed
scho-ars can /urther the acti1ation o/ 4no.-ed&e, assion, 1a-ues and hoe in the ser1ice o/ /or%s
o/ a&ency that are crucia- to sustainin& a de%ocracy in .hich hi&her education -ays an
i%ortant ci1ic, critica- and eda&o&ica- ro-e3
?3 6ri&ht Ai--s .as ri&ht in contendin& that hi&her education shou-d be considered a 5ub-ic
inte--i&ence aaratus, concerned .ith ub-ic issues and ri1ate troub-es and .ith the structura-
trends o/ our ti%e under-yin& the%357B He insisted that acade%ics in their ro-es as ub-ic
inte--ectua-s ou&ht to trans/or% ersona- troub-es and concerns into socia- issues and rob-e%s
oen to criti;ue, debate and reason3 Aatters o/ trans-ation, connectin& ri1ate troub-es .ith
-ar&er syste%ic considerations .ere crucia- in he-in& 5the indi1idua- beco%e a se-/!educatin&
GersonH, .ho on-y then .ou-d be reasonab-e and /ree35 79 Let, Ai--s a-so be-ie1ed, ri&ht-y, that
that criticis% is not the on-y resonsibi-ity o/ ub-ic inte--ectua-s3 As Archon 8un& oints out,
they can 5a-so 2oin .ith other citi)ens to address socia- rob-e%s, aid ou-ar %o1e%ents and
or&ani)ations in their e//orts to ad1ance 2ustice, and so%eti%es .or4 .ith &o1ern%ents 5to
construct a .or-d that is %ore 2ust and de%ocratic35:0
Acade%ics as ub-ic inte--ectua-s can .rite /or %u-ti-e audiences, exand those ub-ic sheres,
esecia--y the %any sites oenin& u on-ine, to address a ran&e o/ i%ortant socia- issues3 A
s%a-- and inc-usi1e -ist .ou-d inc-ude the re-ationshi bet.een the attac4 on the socia- state and
the de/undin& o/ hi&her education3 ?-ear-y, in any de%ocratic society, education shou-d be
1ie.ed as a ri&ht, not an entit-e%ent and su&&ests a reorderin& o/ state and /edera- riorities to
%a4e that haen3 8or instance, the %i-itary bud&et can be cut by t.o!thirds and the re%ainin&
/unds can be in1ested in ub-ic and hi&her education3 There is nothin& utoian about this de%and
&i1en the excessi1e nature o/ %i-itary o.er in the @nited ,tates3 Addressin& this tas4 de%ands a
sustained criti;ue o/ the %i-itari)ation o/ A%erican society and a c-ear ana-ysis o/ the da%a&e it
has caused both at ho%e and abroad3 Bro.n @ni1ersityCs 6atson $nstitute /or $nternationa-
,tudies, a-on& .ith a nu%ber o/ .riters such as Andre. Bace1ich, ha1e been doin& this /or
years, o//erin& a treasure tro1e o/ in/or%ation that cou-d be easi-y accessed and used by ub-ic
inte--ectua-s in and outside o/ the acade%y3 (e-ated-y, as An&e-a =a1is, Aiche--e A-exander and
others ha1e ar&ued, there is a need /or ub-ic inte--ectua-s to beco%e art o/ a broader socia-
%o1e%ent ai%ed at dis%ant-in& the rison!industria- co%-ex and the unishin& state, .hich
drains bi--ions o/ do--ars in /unds to ut eo-e in 2ai- .hen such /unds cou-d be used to /und
ub-ic and hi&her education3 The unishin& state is a dire threat to both ub-ic and hi&her
education and de%ocracy itse-/3 $t is the i--ar o/ the authoritarian state, under%inin& ci1i-
-iberties, cri%ina-i)in& a ran&e o/ socia- beha1iors re-ated to concrete socia- rob-e%s, and
intensi/yin& the -e&acy o/ 'i% ?ro. a&ainst oor %inorities o/ co-or3 The A%erican ub-ic does
not need %ore risons< it needs %ore schoo-s3
,econd, acade%ics, artists, 2ourna-ists and other cu-tura- .or4ers need to connect the rise o/
suba-tern, art!ti%e -abor in both the uni1ersity and the -ar&er society .ith the %assi1e ine;ua-ity
in .ea-th and inco%e that no. corruts e1ery asect o/ A%erican o-itics and society3 Frecarity
has beco%e a .eaon to both ex-oit ad2uncts, art!ti%e .or4ers, and te%orary -aborers and to
suress dissent by 4eein& the% in a state o/ /ear o1er -osin& their 2obs3 $nsecure /or%s o/ -abor
increasin&-y roduce 5a /ee-in& o/ assi1ity born o/ desair35:1 Au-tinationa- cororations ha1e
abandoned the socia- contract and any 1esti&e o/ suortin& the socia- state3 They -under -abor
and eretuate the %echani)ations o/ socia- death .hene1er they ha1e the chance to accu%u-ate
caita-3 This issue is not si%-y about restorin& a ba-ance bet.een -abor and caita-, it is about
reco&ni)in& a ne. /or% o/ ser/do% that 4i--s the sirit as %uch as it deo-itici)es the %ind3 The
ne. authoritarians do not ride around in tan4s, they ha1e their o.n ri1ate 2ets, they /und ri&ht!
.in& thin4 tan4s, -obby /or reactionary o-icies that ri1ati)e e1erythin& in si&ht .hi-e /i--in&
their ban4 accounts .ith %assi1e ro/its3 They are the e%bodi%ent o/ a cu-ture o/ &reed, crue-ty
and disosabi-ity3
Third, acade%ics need to /i&ht /or the ri&hts o/ students to &et a /ree education, be &i1en a
/or%idab-e and critica- education not do%inated by cororate 1a-ues, and to ha1e a say in the
shain& o/ their education and .hat it %eans to exand and deeen the ractice o/ /reedo% and
de%ocracy3 Loun& eo-e ha1e been -e/t out o/ the discourse o/ de%ocracy3 They are the ne.
disosab-es .ho -ac4 2obs, a decent education, hoe and any se%b-ance o/ a /uture better than
the one their arents inherited3 They are a re%inder o/ ho. /inance caita- has abandoned any
1iab-e 1ision o/ the /uture, inc-udin& one that .ou-d suort /uture &enerations3 This is a %ode o/
o-itics and caita- that eats its o.n chi-dren and thro.s their /ate to the 1a&aries o/ the %ar4et3
$/ any society is in art 2ud&ed by ho. it 1ie.s and treats its chi-dren, A%erican society by a--
accounts has tru-y /ai-ed in a co-ossa- .ay and in doin& so ro1ides a &-i%se o/ the
heart-essness at the core o/ the ne. authoritarianis%3
8ina--y, there is a need to oose the on&oin& shi/t in o.er re-ations bet.een /acu-ty and the
%ana&eria- c-ass3 Too %any /acu-ty are no. re%o1ed /ro% the &o1ernin& structure o/ hi&her
education and as a resu-t ha1e been abandoned to the %isery o/ i%o1erished .a&es, excessi1e
c-asses, no hea-th care, and /e., i/ any, socia- bene/its3 This is sha%e/u- and is not %ere-y an
education issue but a dee-y o-itica- %atter, one that %ust address ho. neo-ibera- ideo-o&y and
o-icy has i%osed on hi&her education an anti!de%ocratic &o1ernin& structure that %i%ics the
broader authoritarian /orces no. threatenin& the @nited ,tates3
1onclusion:
$n conc-usion, $ .ant to return to %y ear-y re/erence to the &-oba- stru&&-es bein& .a&ed by
%any youn& eo-e3 $ be-ie1e that .hi-e it has beco%e %ore di//icu-t to i%a&ine a de%ocratic
/uture, .e ha1e entered a eriod in .hich students and disen/ranchised youth a-- o1er the .or-d
are rotestin& neo-ibera-is% and its instru%enta-i)ed eda&o&y and o-itics o/ disosabi-ity3
(e/usin& to re%ain 1oice-ess and o.er-ess in deter%inin& their /uture, these youn& eo-e are
or&ani)in& co--ecti1e-y to create the conditions /or societies that re/use to use o-itics as an act o/
.ar and %ar4ets as the %easure o/ de%ocracy3 And .hi-e such stru&&-es are /u-- o/
contradictions and setbac4s, they ha1e oened u a ne. con1ersation about o-itics, o1erty,
ine;ua-ity, c-ass .ar/are and eco-o&ica- de1astation3 7he ongoing protests in the &nite( 9tates,
1ana(a, reece an( 9pain ma.e clear that this is not - in(ee(, cannot be - only a short-
term pro/ect *or re*orm, but a political movement that nee(s to intensi*y, accompanie( by
the reclaiming o* public spaces, the progressive use o* (igital technologies, the (evelopment
o* public spheres, the pro(uction o* new mo(es o* e(ucation an( the sa*eguar(ing o* places
where (emocratic e!pression, new i(entities an( collective hope can be nurture( an(
mobili5e(.
Acade%ics, artists, 2ourna-ists, and other cu-tura- .or4ers can -ay a crucia- ro-e in uttin& into
-ace the /or%ati1e cu-tures, necessary to /urther such e//orts throu&h the roduction and
circu-ation o/ the 4no.-ed&e, 1a-ues, identities and socia- re-ations crucia- /or such stru&&-es to
succeed3 6ritin& in 1920, H3G3 6e--s insisted that, 5History is beco%in& %ore and %ore a race
bet.een education and catastrohe35:2 $ thin4 6e--s &ot it ri&ht but .hat needs to be
ac4no.-ed&ed is that there is %ore at sta4e here than the dee resonsibi-ities o/ acade%ics to
de/end acade%ic /reedo%, the tenure syste% and /acu-ty autono%y, ho.e1er i%ortant3 7he real
issues lie elsewhere an( spea. to preserving the public character o* higher e(ucation an(
recogni5ing that (e*en(ing it as a public sphere is essential to the very e!istence o* critical
thin.ing, (issent, (ialogue, engage( scholarship an( (emocracy itsel*. &niversities shoul(
be subversive in a healthy society, they shoul( push against the grain an( give voice to the
voiceless, the unmentionable an( the whispers o* truth that haunt the apostles o*
unchec.e( power an( wealth. 7hese may be (ar. times, as Hannah Aren(t once warne(,
but they (on)t have to be, an( that raises serious -uestions about what e(ucators are going
to (o within the current historical climate to ma.e sure that they (o not succumb to the
authoritarian *orces circling the university, waiting *or the resistance to stop an( *or the
lights to go out. :esistance is no longer an option, it is a necessity.
1 Audre 0ord, 5Foetry is not a 0uxury,5 ,ister Outsider: "ssays and ,eeches #8reedo%, ?a:
The ?rossin& Fress, 19B7+, 3 3B3
2 $ ha1e ta4en this idea o/ -in4in& 0ourde<s notion o/ oetry to education /ro% Aartha 9e--
,%ith, 5The Hu%anities Are A Aani/esto /or the T.enty!8irst ?entury,5 0ibera- "ducation,
#6inter 2011+, 3 7B!::3
3 =ebra 0ei&h ,cott, 5Ho. The A%erican @ni1ersity .as Di--ed, in 8i1e "asy ,tes,5 The
Ho%e-ess Ad2unct B-o&, #Au&ust 12, 2012+3
7 Tony 'udt, 5$ a% not Fessi%istic in the Mery 0on& (un,5 The $ndeendent, #Aarch 27, 2010+3
: Tho%as 8ran4, 5$tCs a rich %anCs .or-d: Ho. bi--ionaire bac4ers ic4 A%ericaCs
candidates,5 HarerCs Aa&a)ine #Ari- 2012+3
6Gerry Ac?arthy, 5The 9ocial 0(ge $nter1ie.: >y&%unt Bau%an35 The ,ocia- "d&e #8ebruary
200I+3
I 6endy Bro.n, +egulating 'version, Tolerance in the 'ge of !dentity and -mpire #Frinceton,
9': Frinceton @ni1ersity Fress, 2006+3
B ?3 6ri&ht Ai--s, The Politics of Truth, .elected /ritings of C. /right 0ills, #9e. Lor4:
Ox/ord @ni1ersity Fress, 200B+, 3 2003
9 8ran4 B3 6i-derson $$$, 5$ntroduction: @nsea4ab-e "thics,5 +ed# /hite# 1 2lack, #0ondon,
@D: =u4e @ni1ersity Fress, 2012+, 3 23
10 ,tan-ey Arono.it), 5A&ainst ,choo-in&: "ducation and ,ocia- ?-ass,5 'gainst .chooling,
#Bou-der, ?O: Faradi&% Fub-ishers, 200B+, 3 xii3
11 $bid, Date >erni4e, 5Aa4in& ?o--e&e C(e-e1antC,5 F316
12 The b-o& o/ 'unct (ebe--ion, 5Ho. The A%erican @ni1ersity .as Di--ed, in 8i1e "asy ,tes,5
The Ho%e-ess Ad2unct #Au&ust 12, 2012+3
13 ,cott 'aschi4, 5Aa4in& Ad2uncts Te%s ! 0itera--y,5 $nside Hi&her "d #Au&ust 9, 2010+3
17 Aartha ?3 9ussbau%, 3ot 4or Profit, /hy 5emocracy 3eeds The &umanities, #9e. 'ersey:
Frinceton @ni1ersity Fress, 2010+, 3 1723
1: 8or a series o/ bri--iant ana-ysis on ub-ic education, ine;ua-ity, read e1erythin& that Aichae-
Lates .rites3 He is one o/ our nationa- treasures3
16 Ada% Bessie, 5The Ans.er to the Great Kuestion o/ "ducation (e/or%J The 9u%ber 72,5
7ruthout, #October 1:, 2013+
1I ,te/an ?o--ini, 5,o-d Out,5 0ondon (e1ie. o/ Boo4s 3::20!27 #October 2013+3 On-ine:
htt:**...3-rb3co3u4*13:*n20*ste/an!co--ini*so-d!out
1B $bid3, ,te/an ?o--ini, 5,o-d Out35
19 0i)ette A-1are), 58-orida Aay (educe Tuition /or ,e-ect Aa2ors,5 9e. Lor4 Ti%es
#=ece%ber 9, 2012+3
20 $bid3, 0i)ette A-1are), 58-orida Aay (educe Tuition /or ,e-ect Aa2ors35
21 ,ee ,te1e 8raser, 5The Fo-itics o/ =ebt in A%erica: 8ro% =ebtorCs Frison to =ebtor 9ation,5
To%=isatch3co% #'anuary 29, 2013+3 On the history o/ debt, see =a1id Graeber, 5ebt, The
4irst 6#777 8ears #9e. Lor4: Ae-1i--e House, 2012+3
223 A-exander (eed De--y, 5=a1id Graeber: CThere Has Been a 6ar on the Hu%an $%a&inationC,5
Truthdi&, #Au&ust 12, 2013+
23 Ada% Bessie, 5The Ans.er to the Great Kuestion o/ 0(ucation :e*ormJ The 9u%ber 72,5
Truthout, #October 1:, 2013+3
27 Aartha ?3 9ussbau%, 3ot 4or Profit, /hy 5emocracy 3eeds The &umanities, #9e. 'ersey:
Frinceton @ni1ersity Fress, 2010+3
2: Geor&e ,cia-abba, /hat 're !ntellectuals (ood 4or9 #Boston: Fressed 6a/er, 2009+ 3 73
26 Toni Aorrison, 5Ho. ?an Ma-ues Be Tau&ht in This @ni1ersity,5 Aichi&an Kuarter-y (e1ie.
#,rin& 2001+, 3 2IB3
2I $bid3, ,cia-abba3
2B >oe 6i--ia%s, 5The ,aturday $nter1ie.: ,tuart Ha--,5 The Guardian #8ebruary 11, 2012+
29 $bid3, Aorrison, Ho. ?an Ma-ues Be Tau&ht in This @ni1ersity,5 3 2I63
30 On this issue, see the bri--iant essay: ,usan ,ear-s Giroux, 5On the ?i1ic 8unction o/
$nte--ectua-s Today,5 in Gary O-son and 0ynn 6orsha%, eds3 -ducation as Civic -ngagement,
Toward a 0ore 5emocratic .ociety #Bou-der: Faradi&% Fub-ishers, 2012+, 3 ix!x1ii3
31 Aartin 0uther Din&, 'r3, 5The Tru%et o/ ?onscience,5 in 'a%es A3 6ashin&ton, ed3 The
-ssential /ritings and .peeches of 0artin :uther ;ing# )r. #9e. Lor4: Harer ?o---ins, 1991+,
3 6773
32 Arundhati (oy, Power Politics #?a%brid&e, Aa: ,outh "nd Fress, 2001+, 3 1
33 Gio1anna Borriadori, ed3, 5Autoi%%unity: (ea- and ,y%bo-ic ,uicides ! A =ia-o&ue .ith
'ac;ues =errida,5 in Philosophy in a Time of Terror, 5ialogues with )urgen &abermas and
)ac"ues 5errida #?hica&o: @ni1ersity o/ ?hica&o Fress, 2007+3 F3 1213
37 ?orne-ius ?astoriadis, 5=e%ocracy as Frocedure and =e%ocracy as (e&i%e,5 ?onste--ations
7:1 #199I+, 3 103
3: $ ha1e used this exa%-e in other ieces, and $ use it a&ain because o/ its o.er and insi&ht3
36 ?ited in Aatthe. ?unnin&ha%!?oo4 inter1ie.s Fatricia 6i--ia%, 5(e!i%a&inin& =issent,5
Guernica Aa&a)ine, #Aarch 1, 2013+3 On-ine:
3I This issue is ta4en u in &reat detai- in ?har-es H3 8er&usonCs, Predator 3ation, Corporate
Criminals# Political Corruption# and the &ijacking of 'merica #9e. Lor4: ?ro.n Fress, 2012+3
3B "d.ard ,aid, *ut of Place, ' 0emoir #9e. Lor4: Minta&e, 2000+, 3 297!2993
39 $r1in& Ho.e, 5This A&e o/ ?on/or%ity,5 .elected /ritings %<67=%<<7, #9e. Lor4: Harcourt
Brace 'o1ano1ich, 1990+, 3 2I3
70 ,aid, *ut of Place, 3 I3
71 ,tehen Ho.e, 5"d.ard ,aid: The Tra1e--er and the "xi-e,5 Oen =e%ocracy #October 2,
2003+3
72 Hannah Arendt, 2etween Past and 4uture, -ight -ercises in Political Thought #9e. Lor4:
Fen&uin, 19II+, 3 1793
73 "d.ard ,aid, 5On =e/iance and Ta4in& Fositions,5 +eflections *n -ile and *ther -ssays
#?a%brid&e: Har1ard @ni1ersity Fress, 2001+, 3 :073
77 "d.ard ,aid, &umanism and 5emocratic Criticism #9e. Lor4: ?o-u%bia @ni1ersity Fress,
2007+, 3 I03
7: $r1in& Ho.e, 5This A&e o/ ?on/or%ity,5 .elected /ritings %<67=%<<7, #9e. Lor4: Harcourt
Brace 'o1ano1ich, 1990+, 3 363
76 ,ee, esecia--y, ?hristoher 9e./ie-d, Unmaking the Public University, The 4orty=8ear
'ssault on the 0iddle Class #?a%brid&e: Har1ard @ni1ersity Fress, 200B+3
7I Gayatri ?ha4ra1orty ,i1a4, 5?han&in& (e/-exes: $nter1ie. .ith Gayatri ?ha4ra1orty
,i1a4,5 /orks and 5ays, ::*:6: Mo-3 2B, 2010, 3 B3
7B ?3 6ri&ht Ai--s, 5On Fo-itics,5 The .ociological !magination, #Ox/ord @ni1ersity Fress,
2000+, 3 1B13
79 $bid3 Ai--s, 5On Fo-itics,5 3 1B63
:0 Archon 8un&, 5The ?onstructi1e (esonsibi-ity o/ $nte--ectua-s,5 Boston (e1ie., #,ete%ber
9, 2011+3
:1 Guy ,tandin&, The Precariat, The 3ew 5angerous Class #9e. Lor4: B-oo%sbury, 2011+, 3
203
:2 ,ee: Braindash
?oyri&ht, Truthout3 Aay not be rerinted .ithout er%ission3