University movements as laboratories for

(counter)hegemony
(Paper presented at the Third International Conference on Critical
Education, Ankara 15-17 May !1"#
Panagiotis Sotiris
$epart%ent of &ociolo'y, (ni)ersity of the Ae'ean
psot*soc+ae'ean+'r
I%%anuel ,ant-s The Con.ict of the /aculties so%eho0 de1nes the open
2uestion re'ardin' the )ery idea of the (ni)ersity in Modernity+ It is
interestin' that ,ant 3e'ins 0ith a co%parison 3et0een the di)ision of
la3our 0ithin acade%ia and the factory syste%, since this di)ision is in his
o0n 0ords fa3riken%45i' (,ant 1676, #+ At the sa%e ti%e, ,ant insists
on the need for philosophy to defend the autono%y of reason su''ests
that the /aculty of Philosophy is the one that can 'uaranty the autono%y
of pu3lic reason as opposed to the po0er constraints i%posed upon other
faculties+ 7e kno0 fro% ,ant-s te8t 9An ans0er to the :uestion; <7hat is
Enli'hten%ent=-> (,ant 17?@# that the pu3lic use of reason is that use that
is oriented to the 0ell-3ein', enli'hten%ent and freedo% of all society as
opposed to the pri)ate use of reason, na%ely its restricted use in support
of particular interests and functions+ It is also interestin' that for ,ant
philosophy as the faculty representin' pu3lic reason is on the left side of
the parlia%ent of kno0led'e (,ant 1676, 56#+ Af course 0hat ,ant 0as
actually facin' 0ere the atte%pts to i%pose censorship especially in
%atters of reli'ion and theolo'y and not %arket forces as in conte%porary
uni)ersities+ But it is o3)ious that 0hat he 0as tryin' to think 0as the
place of pu3lic reason in a uni)ersity that 0as on one hand tryin' to
acco%%odate the kno0led'e production needs of society (na%ely
3our'eois society# and on the other hand tryin' to cope 0ith )arious for%s
of political inter)ention, 0ith 3oth tendencies C copin' for practical needs
and 'uarantyin' political %anipulation C 3ein' in a certain syner'y and
0ith pu3lic reason and its freedo% in a certain opposition to 3oth+ Ane
%i'ht say that ri'ht fro% the 3e'innin' ,ant-s idea of the (ni)ersity
3rin's for0ard the tension inherent in the )ery fa3ric of this institution,
na%ely the tension 3et0een on the one hand the constraints of the
%arket, of the e%er'in' reality of capitalist society, and of state po0er
and on the other hand the challen'e of articulatin' a rational criticis% of

conte%porary society+ In this sense, there has ne)er 3een a 'olden era of
a li3eral hu%anistic uni)ersityD fro% the 3e'innin' the li3eral hu%anist
uni)ersity represented this tension and contradiction, 0as a condensation
of contradictions, it 0as 3attle1eld+
Eac2ues $errida has oFered us i%pressi)e co%%entaries on this te8t on
)arious occasions in an atte%pt to rethink the responsi3ility of the
uni)ersity+ /or $errida rethinkin' the (ni)ersity in its unconditionality
%eans rethinkin' 3oth its potential for critical reasonin', 3ut also its
)ulnera3ility to the per)asi)e in.uence of %arket forces that GeopardiHe
the )ery idea of the (ni)ersity+
Because it is a3solutely independent, the uni)ersity is also an e8posed,
tendered citadel, to 3e taken, often destined to capitulate 0ithout
condition, to surrender unconditionally+ It 'i)es itself up, it so%eti%es puts
itself up for sale, it risks 3ein' si%ply so%ethin' to occupy, take o)er, 3uyD
it risks 3eco%in' a 3ranch oIce of con'lo%erates and corporations+ This
is today, in the (nited &tates and throu'hout the 0orld, a %aGor political
stake; to 0hat e8tent does the or'aniHation of research and teachin' ha)e
to 3e supported, that is, directly or indirectly controlled, let us say
euphe%istically 9sponsored> 3y co%%ercial and industrial interests=
($errida !!1, ?#+
$errida-s ans0er is that the )ery profession of teachin', especially in the
1eld of the Ju%anities includes a certain %oral responsi3ility, entails a
pu3lic ethical co%%it%ent to theory and conse2uently re2uires a critical
rethinkin' of the )ery notion of the Ju%anities+ This ethical co%%it%ent
and necessary resistance to the forces of the %arket cannot 3e li%ited
only to theory, 3ut also to an alliance 0ith forces outside acade%ia+
Ane thus touches on the )ery li%it, 3et0een the inside and the outside,
nota3ly the 3order of the uni)ersity itself, and 0ithin it, of the Ju%anities+
Ane thinks in the Ju%anities that one cannot and %ust not let oneself 3e
enclosed 0ithin the inside of the Ju%anities+ But for this thinkin' to 3e
stron' and consistent re2uires the Ju%anities+ To think is not an
acade%ic, speculati)e or theoretical operationD it is not a neutral utopia+
Ko %ore than sayin' is a si%ple enunciation+ It is on the al0ays di)isi3le
li%it, it is at this li%it that 0hat arri)es arri)es+ It is this li%it that is
aFected 3y the arri)in' and that chan'es+ This li%it of the i%possi3le, the
9perhaps> and the 9if>, this is the place 0here the uni)ersity is e8posed to
reality to the forces fro% 0ithout (3e they cultural, ideolo'ical political, or
other#+ It is there that the uni)ersity is in the 0orld that it is atte%ptin' to
think+ An this 3order, it %ust therefore ne'otiate and or'aniHe its

"
resistance+ And take its responsi3ilities+ Kot in order to enclose itself and
reconstitute the a3stract phantas% of so)erei'nty 0hose theolo'ical and
hu%anist herita'e it 0ill perhaps ha)e 3e'un to deconstruct, if at least it
has 3e'un to do so+ But in order to resist eFecti)ely, 3e allyin' itself 0ith
e8tra-econo%ic forces, in order to or'aniHe an in)enti)e resistance,
throu'h its oeu)res, its 0orks to all atte%pts at reappropriation (political,
Guridical, econo%ic, and so forth#, to all the other 1'ures of so)erei'nty+
($errida !!1, 55-5L#
It is o3)ious that $errida 0as not thinkin' si%ply in ter%s of a defence of
a traditional role of the (ni)ersity and of a traditional conception of
reasonin' and rationality and the traditions of li3eral hu%anis%+ Je 0as
thinkin' in ter%s of 3oth a rede1nition of the Ju%anities, their role and
their orientation, and, at the sa%e ti%e, in ter%s of an alliance, a co%%on
0ork and stru''le 0ith %o)e%ents outside the (ni)ersity+ In order to
%o)e the internal li%it of the uni)ersity, the li%it 3et0een critical
reasonin', teachin' and kno0led'e production and the forces of capital
(and the constraints i%posed 3y political po0er# 0e need to o)erco%e the
li%it 3et0een the uni)ersity and its outside+ As $errida notes the
(ni)ersity is al0ays e8posed to forces and constraints fro% 0ithout+
Therefore, the 2uestion is ho0 to use other forces, co%in' fro% society
and its %o)e%ents, in order to defend the uni)ersity as a pu3lic uni)ersity+
If 0e are 'oin' to put up this <in)enti)e resistance- $errida 0as referrin'
to, 0e need 1rst of all to see at the chan'es that ha)e taken place in
(ni)ersities+ Chan'es in (ni)ersity ad%inistration ha)e atte%pted to
)iolently incorporate entrepreneurial practices 0ithin acade%ia throu'h
chan'es in fundin', throu'h pri)atiHation, 3ut also throu'h the use of
representati)es of the 3usiness co%%unity in acade%ic ad%inistration+ At
the sa%e ti%e ne0 for%s of censorship e%er'e and disciplinary restraints
e%er'e+ /i'htin' a'ainst the% cannot 3e the sole responsi3ility of forces
0ithin (ni)ersities+ 7e need to rethink this kind of alliance 0ith
%o)e%ents outside acade%ia+
Jo0e)er, to do so 0e need to %o)e fro% the idea of the uni)ersity to an
atte%pt to actually theoriHe its role and the potential of resistances 0ithin
it+ In the past decades there has 3een an i%pressi)e literature on the
process of entrepreneurialiHation of uni)ersities and on the resistances to
it+ I think that this process cannot 3e de1ned si%ply in ter%s of
co%%odi1cation of kno0led'e and M or of pri)atiHation of Ji'her
Education, despite the i%portance of 3oth tendencies+ Ar, to 3e %ore
precise, it is not enou'h to theoriHe co%%odi1cation and pri)atiHation+
7hat is needed is to actually try and think of the chan'in' role of the
(ni)ersity as a he'e%onic apparatus+
As it is 0ell kno0n Nra%sci introduced the concept of the he'e%onic
apparatus in an atte%pt to theoriHe the )ery co%ple8ity of 3our'eois
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e8ercise of po0er as he'e%ony, as a co%ple8 articulation of do%ination,
direction, coercion, and consent+ It refers to one or %any institutions
e%er'in' as the he'e%onic apparatus as the 3asis of the &tate in its
narro0 coerci)e sense+
I ha)e re%arked else0here that in any 'i)en society no3ody is
disor'aniHed and 0ithout party, pro)ided that one takes or'aniHation and
party in a 3road and not for%al sense+ In this %ultiplicity of pri)ate
associations (0hich are of t0o kinds; natural and contractual or )oluntary#,
one or %ore predo%inates relati)ely or a3solutely Cconstitutin' the
he'e%onic apparatus of a social 'roup o)er the rest of the population (or
of ci)il society#; the 3asis for the &tate in the narro0 sense of the
'o)ern%ental-coerci)e apparatus (Nra%sci 1671, p+ L@-L5#+
As Peter Tho%as has su''ested a he'e%onic apparatus is 9is the %eans
3y 0hich a class-s forces in ci)il society are translated into po0er in
political society (Tho%as !!6, p+ L#+ Therefore ,0e are dealin' 0ith a
concept that atte%pts e8actly to see the co%ple8 and necessarily
contradictory %odalities of political po0er as transfor%ed social force+ It is
also al0ays related to a transfor%ation not Gust of the ideolo'ical 3alance
of forces, 3ut a %ore 'eneral transfor%ation of for%s of kno0led'e,
consciousness and collecti)e practice+ 9The realiHation of a he'e%onic
apparatus, in so far as it creates a ne0 ideolo'ical terrain deter%ines a
refor% of kno0led'e and of %ethods of kno0led'e; it is a fact of
kno0led'e, a philosophical fact> (Nra%sci 1671, p+ "L5-"LL#+ I think that
this conception oFers us a 0ay to think 3oth the i%portance of the
uni)ersity as a he'e%onic apparatus (or to 3e %ore precise as part of the
he'e%onic apparatus of the 3our'eoisie#, the 0ays the current neoli3eral
entrepreneurial restructurin' of the uni)ersity has to 3e related to chan'es
to actual he'e%onic strate'ies, 3ut also the political and
(counter#he'e%onic potential of %o)e%ents 0ithin uni)ersities+ This
Nra%scian approach can also help us understand the non-teleolo'ical
historicity of the (ni)ersity, ho0 it 3eca%e part of the 3our'eois
he'e%onic apparatus as the result of 0hole history of stru''les and
strate'ies, at all le)els+
Althou'h I co%e fro% an Althusserian tradition, I 3elie)e that Althusser-s
criticis% of the concept of he'e%onic apparatus is not Gusti1ed+ Especially
in Mar8 in his li%its, a 167? %anuscript he chose not to pu3lish, Althusser
insisted that the pro3le% is that Nra%sci does not de1ne 0hat the 3asis of
the he'e%onic apparatuses is+ Althusser asks; 9a petrol en'ine runs on
petrolD an Ideolo'ical &tate Apparatus runs on ideolo'yD 3ut 0hat does a
he'e%onic apparatus run on=> (Althusser !!L, p+ 1@!# In %y opinion this
is e8actly pro3le% 0ith Althusser-s conception of the Ideolo'ical &tate
Apparatuses+ The pro3le% is to theoriHe the co%ple8ity of the <functions-
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of he'e%onic apparatus instead of tryin' to think of the% only in ter%s of
ideolo'y+ Moreo)er, a he'e%onic apparatus is not a 9%achine> runnin' on
ideolo'y, 3ut a co%ple8 process that transfor%s social force into political
po0er and he'e%ony+ Conte%porary uni)ersities incorporate ideolo'ical,
econo%ic, disciplinary, political practices, in su% they for% a he'e%onic,
not si%ply an ideolo'ical apparatus+ I 3elie)e that 0e should re-read the
usefulness of the concept of he'e%onic apparatus, in the sense that it
includes and e8pands the insi'hts of Althusser-s o0n conception of the
Ideolo'ical Apparatuses of the &tate+ Althusser hi%self criticiHed the
notion of the he'e%onic apparatus 3ecause he 0as thinkin' of he'e%ony
%ainly in ter%s of consent and not in ter%s of a co%ple8 theory of the
%odalities of political po0er+ I 3elie)e on the contrary that the concept of
the he'e%onic apparatus ena3les us to think the strate'ic character of
current transfor%ations of the (ni)ersity, includin' co%%odi1cation,
entrepreneurialiHation and pri)atiHation, as aspects of a chan'in'
capitalist he'e%ony+ At the sa%e ti%e, such an approach can 3rin'
for0ard the %any 0ays that class stru''les trans)erse he'e%onic
apparatuses+ Althusser-s self-critical insistence on the pri%acy of 9class
stru''le o)er do%inant ideolo'y and o)er ideolo'ical apparatuses>
(Althusser 1665, p+ 55# %ust 3e read in the %ore 'eneral sense of the
pri%acy of stru''les o)er the he'e%onic function of apparatuses such as
education, e8actly 0hat PoulantHas tried to theoriHe in his conception of
the &tate as the %aterial condensation of class relations of force
(PoulantHas 16?!#+
Therefore, thinkin' in ter%s of he'e%onic apparatuses can help us think
of the current role of (ni)ersities+ (ni)ersities do not produce si%ple
kno0led'e or de'rees+ They do not si%ply help capitalist pro1ta3ility in
ter%s of applied research+ They do not si%ply reproduce social di)isions of
la3our and professional hierarchies+ They also act as strate'ic nodes in the
de)elop%ent of strate'ies (3oth do%inant and su3altern#, in the
production of su3Gecti)ities, in the transfor%ation of collecti)e practices+
They aFect 9co%%on sense>, they disse%inate for%s of thinkin', and they
act as paradi'%s of successi)e entrepreneuris% 3ut also of successful
%o)e%ents+ The e)olution of %ass Ji'her Education i%plies that they
aFect a 'ro0in' nu%3er of the conte%porary 0orkforce+ That is 0hy
stru''les 0ithin acade%ic institutions ha)e to 3e studied in their relation
to the 3roader social and political conGuncture+
The current capitalist crisis and the transfor%ations it has 3rou'ht alon'
ha)e led to ne0 0a)e of neoli3eral restructurin's of the uni)ersities+
Austerity has led to an e)en hi'her dependence on hi'h tuition fees and
search for )arious for%s of pri)ate fundin' of research+ Bud'et constraints
and the search for alternati)e for%s of fundin' has accelerated ne0 for%s
of acade%ic %ana'e%ent 3ased on the use of representati)es of the
3usiness 0orld in steerin' acade%ic or'ans, especially in countries such
as Nreece 0ith a stron' tradition of acade%ic de%ocracy and student
participation+ This ne0 0a)e has also 3een increasin'ly authoritarian in
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the sense of representati)es of the ne0 for% of entrepreneurial acade%ic
%ana'e%ent tar'etin' collecti)e practices and acti)is% 0ithin acade%ia+
/ro% the iconic stru''le and occupation of Middlese8 (ni)ersity o)er the
closure of the philosophy depart%ent to the disciplinary procedures
a'ainst %ilitant acade%ics in Turkey, and fro% the )arious anti-union
initiati)es in A%erican uni)ersities to the atte%pt in Nreece to li%it the
possi3ility of %ass student action, there are %any e8a%ples of such
authoritarian attacks on uni)ersity %o)e%ents+ In certain cases the
a''ressi)e character of these refor%s 'oes 3eyond the actual realities of
conte%porary resistances to neoli3eralis%, su''estin' a strate'y close to
0hat Al3erto Toscano has descri3ed as 9counter-re)olution-0ithout-a-
re)olution> (Toscano !1"a, p+ 1!!#+
This authoritarian turn should not 3e seen only in its <instru%ental-
rationale, na%ely as an atte%pt to %ake sure the nor%al functionin' of
uni)ersities+ Kor should it 3e seen as a %anifestation of neoli3eralis%-s
a)ersion to collecti)e practices and stru''les+ A3o)e all it should 3een as
a strate'ic %o)e, the result of a deeper apprehension of the stakes
in)ol)ed in conte%porary stru''les+ The (ni)ersity is ne)er only a3out
kno0led'e and researchD it is also a3out collecti)e aspirations,
representations and practices+ Conte%porary neoli3eral strate'y ai%s at
reproducin' a la3our force that is at the sa%e ti%e %ore 2uali1ed, %ore
a3le to %o)e to diFerent posts, in a position to cope 0ith processes of
retrainin', 3ut also 0ith fe0er ri'hts, lo0er 0a'es, %ore ready to accept
inter)als of une%ploy%ent, %ore ea'er to accept the %ana'e%ent-s
prero'ati)es+ It is o3)ious that such a la3our force %ust also 3e %ore
fra'%ented, %ore indi)idualiHed, %ore <ato%iHed-, 0ithout collecti)e
or'aniHin' and collecti)e e8periences in 'eneral+ In this sense for students
to 'o throu'h the e8perience of collecti)e stru''le and or'aniHin' that one
can ha)e in case of a %aGor student and M or uni)ersity %o)e%ent is per se
a counter tendency to the do%inant one+ To use Eason Oead-s concept of
the neoli3eral production of su3Gecti)ity (Oead !!6# such %o)e%ents
produce diFerent %ilitant for%s of su3Gecti)ity+ This also has to do 0ith the
political potential of conte%porary stru''les 0ithin acade%ic institutions,
in the sense of a ne0 radicalis%+
As a he'e%onic apparatus, the (ni)ersity acts as one of the la3oratories
of he'e%ony+ /ro% the de)elop%ent of ne0 producti)e techni2ues, as
he'e%onic strate'ies (in line 0ith Nra%sci-s reference to he'e%ony
3e'innin' in the factory#, to ne0 econo%ic discourses, to ne0 0ays to
relate to technolo'y, to ne0 aesthetics and in 'eneral collecti)e practices,
the uni)ersity is C in %any aspects a la3oratory of he'e%ony+ At the sa%e
ti%e the uni)ersity as a he'e%onic apparatus, either pu3lic or pri)ate,
internaliHes the 'eneral tendencies of social anta'onis%+ Moreo)er, the
)ery atte%pt to0ards a Ji'her Education that is %ore responsi)e to the
needs of capital and 3usiness, has the result of internaliHin' the )ery
contradictions of conte%porary capitalist production; fro% the increasin'
precariousness of la3our, includin' intellectual, <co'niti)e- la3our to the
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)arious faces of austerity, students (and acade%ics# ha)e an e)en 'reater
than 3efore kno0led'e of and e8perience of the realities of the 0orkplace+
Current stru''les, not only in their discourse 3ut also as %aterial
tendencies and practices are not si%ple de%ands for 3etter education and
0ork prospects+ They for% one of the e8pressions the 3roader stru''le
3et0een capital and la3our takes place+ This is e)ident in the discourse of
conte%porary %o)e%ents and their rene0ed anti-capitalist radicalis%
(&olo%on and Pal%ieri (eds+# !11D After the /all !1!#+ In this sense
crucial aspects of the 3alance of forces that deter%ine he'e%ony in its
relational and practical sense, are 3ein' deter%ined 0ithin (ni)ersities+ To
'i)e a recent e8a%ple; An i%portant aspect of the recent ree%er'ence of
radical %o)e%ents all o)er the 0orld fro% the Ara3 &prin' to the
Indi'nados %o)e%ent, and fro% the Nreek stru''les to the AccupyP
Mo)e%ent had to 0ith the radicaliHation of i%portant se'%ents of
uni)ersity trained intellectual and aFecti)e 0orkers+ This in its turn had to
do 0ith the continuin' reproduction of )arious for%s of student radicalis%+
Jo0e)er, 0e should not li%it this perspecti)e only to student %o)e%ents
and their results+ As stated a3o)e, conte%porary uni)ersities in their
research and teachin' functions can 3e considered la3oratories of
capitalist he'e%ony+ In this sense, stru''les o)er 0hat is 3ein' tau'ht or
produced as research can also aFect the he'e%onic 3alanced of force+ But
these stru''les cannot 3e de1ned si%ply in ter%s of content, of 0hat is
tau'ht or 3ein' produced as research outco%e+ I do not 0ant to
underesti%ate these aspects, nor the 0ork that has 3een done in critical
directions+ Jo0e)er, I think that si%ply teachin' su3Gects or producin'
papers in critical directions is not enou'h, and it can also act as a
le'iti%iHation process of the entrepreneurialiHation of uni)ersities+ It is as
if uni)ersity ad%inistrations are sayin'; 97e %i'ht ha)e su3Gected the
core of our research operations to the de%ands of pri)ate sponsors, 3ut
0e are not so 3ad, 3ecause 0e can still fund a cultural studies 'raduate
pro'ra% in a post-%ar8ist direction+>
Therefore, 0e ha)e to understand the nature of the conte%porary
he'e%onic function of the (ni)ersity+ If 0e treat the he'e%onic function
si%ply in ter%s of content, in ter%s of the discourses articulated 0ithin
acade%ia, then 0e %iss a 'reat part+ The uni)ersity is not si%ply a )enue
or a foru% of ideas, it a co%ple8 articulation of practices and strate'ies+
The ne0 e%phasis on co%%odi1cation, the functionin' of the uni)ersity
as a co%%ercial pro)ider caterin' for custo%ers- needs, the ne0
e%phasis on co%petence, the ne0 for%s of ad%inistration, the
si'ni1cance of de3t, all these are parts of the he'e%onic function of the
uni)ersity+ The (ni)ersity acts as a node or a hu3 in the de)elop%ent of
ne0 capitalist strate'ies, in the e)olution of techni2ues, in the articulation
of the do%inant discourses+ At the sa%e ti%e the uni)ersity is %ore than
instru%ental in the i%position of the current for% of neoli3eral <passi)e
re)olution-, in the sense of disarticulatin', disGoinin' fra'%entin'
collecti)e practices+ The )ery concept of the student as consu%er, the
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deep, per)asi)e, anthropolo'ical character of student de3t (QaHHarato
!11D McClanahan !1"#, the ne0 pressure on students, facin' e8tre%e
precariousness, to ac2uire as %any 2uali1cations as possi3le, all these
attest to the actuality of the current he'e%onic function of the uni)ersity+
At the sa%e ti%e, this can account for the counter C he'e%onic potential
of current stru''les 0ithin uni)ersities+ If 0e %ana'e to ha)e alternati)e
practices, collecti)ities, sensiti)ities 0ithin stru''les in (ni)ersities, if 0e
%ana'e to intensify the contradictions of its functionin', if 0e %ana'e to
ha)e %aGor )ictories a'ainst current restructurin's, then 0e can say that
0e are actually aFectin' the 3alance of forces in a process that 'oes
3eyond si%ple de%ands and can aFect the 0hole of society+
Af course this also re2uires rede1nin' 0hat constitutes a potential
counter-he'e%ony+ &i%ply articulatin' resistances to neo-li3eralis%, or
defenses of the pu3lic uni)ersity is not enou'h+ If 0e associate counter
he'e%ony as the strate'ic condensation of a ne0 politics of la3our, an
atte%pt at social e8peri%entation 3eyond capitalis%, ne0 for%s of
de%ocracy and collecti)ity and ne0 for%s or social interaction, in su%
0hat one %i'ht descri3e a socialist perspecti)e, then 0e need to think in a
%ore radical 0ay+ I a% not referrin' to re)olutionary re)eries or arti1cial
intellectual constructions, 3ut to the ela3oration and proGection of the
traces of co%%unis% e)ident C as %aterial potentialities C in today-s
stru''les a'ainst austerity, pri)atiHation, co%%odi1cation and
entrepreneurialiHation+ But such a perspecti)e cannot 3e reduced to
defendin' pu3lic uni)ersities, in their present for%, especially if 0e take
into consideration that the current for% of pu3lic uni)ersity is also
per)aded 3y %arket practices, is also su3Gect to pressures to present
%arketa3le results, and represents a certain he'e%onic function+ That is
0hy Al3erto Toscano is ri'ht to insist that 0e cannot si%ply de%and a
for%al de%ocratiHation of uni)ersities and instead search for the
su3)ersi)e potential of conte%porary stru''les in the sense of a search
for a diFerent practice of the (ni)ersity (Toscano !1"#+
7hat 0e need is a strate'y to defend, re-appropriate and transfor%
uni)ersity throu'h stru''les and %o)e%ents+ Instead of the dual
sche%atic reactions of either self-li%itation 0ithin the contours of
acade%ic functionin' and trade unionis% or of an e8odus fro% the
uni)ersity C a recurrin' the%e in radical student politics fro% 16L?
on0ards, 0ith students tryin' to %o)e fro% uni)ersity politics to society C I
0ould like to su''est a strate'y of dual po0er 0ithin uni)ersities+ (sually,
0e associate dual po0er si%ply 0ith a situation of a catastrophic
e2uili3riu% 3et0een the %o)e%ent and the forces of capital, 3ut I think
that 0e %ust see it in the %ore strate'ic sense of a conGuncture of
e%er'in' ne0 social and political for%s, collecti)e practices and
con1'urations+
?
6
&o 0hat 0e need is to co%3ine the de)elop%ent of %o)e%ents and
resistances to the current 0a)e of neoli3eral entrepreneurial refor%s 0ith
the full .ourishin' of alternati)e kno0led'e practices+ 7hat is i%portant is
that these alternati)e practices are already part of the current repertoire
of stru''les 0ithin uni)ersities+ The ne0 solidarity 3et0een students and
professors as apprehension of the co%%on de%ands for pu3lic education
3ut also of the i%portance of a critical peda'o'ical relation, the
e8peri%entation 0ith collecti)e kno0led'e practices as part of sit-ins and
occupations, the )ery concept of the Accupation as a re-appropriation of
space (in 3oth its %aterial and sy%3olic function#, the e8tended use of
ne0 %edia in order to disse%inate critical discourses, the ne0 desire to
produce not only de%ands 3ut also discourses, )isions e)en theory fro%
the part of strikin' students, all these attest to ne0 possi3ilities for
counter-he'e%onic practices 0ithin uni)ersity %o)e%ents+
This also %akes i%perati)e a diFerent approach fro% the part of radical
acade%ics, a ne0 collecti)e ethos of research, teachin' and 0orkin'
0ithin the %o)e%ent+ This de%ands that 0e 'o 3eyond si%ply tryin' to
3e critical and radical in 0hat 0e produce as theoretical outco%e+ I a% not
denyin' the need for hi'h standards of acade%ic 0ritin', 3ut 0e %ust
think 3eyond si%ply 3ein' the left-0in' or radical li%it of conte%porary
acade%ic scenery+ Kor do I think that 0hat 0e need is si%ply ha)in' %ore
<pu3lic intellectuals- as Oussel Eaco3y su''ested so%e years a'o (Eaco3y
16?7# (one is te%pted to think ho0 do 1'ures like RiSek or Badiou C
undou3tedly pu3lic intellectuals C 1t into Eaco3y conception#+ 7hat 0e
need is ne0 intellectual and theoretical practices+
/irst of all 0e need a ne0 for% of %ilitant research, ne0 for%s of
theoretical research on the side of %o)e%ents, in colla3oration 0ith
%ilitants, 0ith %ilitants 3ein' part of the research process in the sense of
3oth su''estin' ideas and for research and oFerin' help in the )ery
research process+ There is a 0ealth of such e8periences to study fro% the
16L!s e8peri%ents in radical alternati)e education and research practices,
such as the ,ritische (ni)ersit4t in Berlin of the Ke'ati)e (ni)ersity at
Trento (&ocorso Oosso 167L#, to %ore conte%porary e8periences+ In this
sense, it is i%portant to study the e8perience of Ji'her Education refor%s
in Qatin A%erica and especially TeneHuela and the e8periences of
alternati)e hi'her education structures 'i)in' e%phasis on the refusal of
econo%ic eIciency in fa)or of inte'ration 0ithin the co%%unity (Muhr
and Ter'er !!LD MacQaren !1"#+ E8periences such as the (nitierra in
Aa8aca and the (nitierra at Chiapas point to this direction of a radically
diFerent collecti)e conception of teachin', kno0led'e and research, of
0orkin' alon' %ass %o)e%ents and of usin' the e8perience of people
the%sel)es (Este3a !!7#+ The sa%e 'oes for e8periences such as the
7orkers and Punks- (ni)ersity in &lo)enia, a radical collecti)e of students,
researchers and acti)ists that has had an i%portant theoretical and
practical contri3ution in radical socialist politics in &lo)enia+ &econdly 0e
need a ne0 0a)e of populariHation of kno0led'e and theory+ Ane of the
6
1!
%ost i%portant aspects of conte%porary %ass %o)e%ents is the
e%phasis they lay on pu3lic de3ate and discussions of ideas+ /ro% Ke0
Uork to Athens people ha)e 3een openin' up their ears to alternati)e
proGects and %ilitant acade%ics ha)e a %oral o3li'ation to contri3ute 0ith
ideas, infor%ation, and analyses of the conGuncture+ Thirdly, 0e need ne0
for%s of collecti)e theoretical production 0ithin %o)e%ents; a %o)e%ent
to 1'ht precariousness of la3our %ust also include the production of
kno0led'e on conte%porary capitalist restructurin'sD a %o)e%ent to 1'ht
en)iron%entally dan'erous %inin' practice %ust also produce kno0led'e
on the econo%ics and tactics of the %inin' industryD a %o)e%ent in
fa)our of pu3lic health %ust also produce research on the social and
health costs of neoli3eralis%+ To all these alternati)e kno0led'e practices
possi3le 0e can still %ake 'ood use of uni)ersities, especially in ti%es of
stru''les+ It is true that uni)ersity authorities in the past years ha)e done
0hate)er they can in order to li%it these possi3ilities+ /ro% %easures such
as the a3olishin' the uni)ersity sanctuary in Nreece, to increasin'ly hi'her
costs for the use of uni)ersity roo%s for purposes other than teachin', to
%o)es such as the dis%antlin' of (Q( at the (ni)ersity of Qondon, to all
for%s of institutional 3arriers to such practices, 0e can see all si'ns of this
pre-e%pti)e authoritarian transfor%ation of the uni)ersity+ But 0e can still
1nd 0ays to re-appropriate the uni)ersity as pu3lic space+ And if this is not
possi3le 0e can al0ays e8it the uni)ersity and create alternati)e pu3lic
spaces+ The sa%e can 3e said for the use of other aspects of the
infrastructure of pu3lic uni)ersities+ /or e8a%ple in Nreece the 3attle
around 0hether athens+indy%edia+or', a radical alternati)e collecti)e
ne0s-0e3site could 3e hosted in the ser)ers of the Athens Polytechnic 0as
such an e8a%ple+
At the sa%e ti%e it is necessary to see ho0 also %o)e%ents can also 3e
kno0led'e sites and processes ho0 0e can co%3ine acti)is% 0ith
collecti)e learnin' and also for%s of %ilitant research+ As radical
acade%ics 0e ha)e %uch to oFer to this direction+ In a 0ay, this 0ill 3e
our opportunity to 0ork to0ards processes helpin' the e%er'ence of ne0
<or'anic intellectuals- as en)isa'ed 3y Antonio Nra%sci+ Today-s <or'anic
intellectuals- of the forces of la3our should not 3e concei)ed only in ter%s
of articulate propa'andists of the 'eneral political line or of political
theorists+ 7e can also see other for%s; fro% soft0are en'ineers dedicated
to open source code to radical educators in)ol)ed in alternati)e for%s of
schoolin' to radical historians 3rin'in' for0ard ne0 for%s of su3altern
histories, to doctors 3rin'in' for0ard and 1'htin' the de)astation to pu3lic
health 3rou'ht 3y neoli3eralis%+ This is the conte%porary )ersion of
,ant-s insistence on the pu3lic use of reason, of the use of kno0led'e and
e8pertise 0ithin the fra%e0ork of social and political %o)e%ents+ And all
these %ust acco%plished throu'h a ne0 collecti)e practice of the
uni)ersity that should follo0 the lines su''ested 3y Nra%sci in 1617+
1!
11
Qet us or'aniHe culture in the sa%e 0ay that 0e seek to or'aniHe any
practical acti)ity+ Philanthropically, the 3our'eoisie ha)e decided to oFer
the proletariat the Popular (ni)ersities+ As a counterproposal to
philanthropy, let us oFer solidarity, or'aniHation+ Qet us 'i)e the %eans to
'ood 0ill, 0ithout 0hich it 0ill al0ays re%ain sterile and 3arren+ It is not
the lecture that should interest us, 3ut the detailed 0ork of discussin' and
in)esti'atin' pro3le%s, 0ork in 0hich e)ery3ody participates, to 0hich
e)ery3ody contri3utes, in 0hich e)ery3ody is 3oth %aster and disciple+
(Nra%sci 16?5, 57#
All these should not 3e read as an atte%pt at si%ply creatin' parallel
structures and a)oidin' direct confrontation 0ith the forces of capital+ An
the contrary, 0e are refereein' to a process that 'oes alon' central
stru''les, supports the%, and helps their politiciHation+ The ai% of all
these practices is not si%ply to create alternati)e kno0led'e practices,
3ut to create conditions of counter-he'e%ony+ Political proGects cannot 3e
concei)ed si%ply in ter%s of catch phrase and 'eneral directions+
Producin' a'ain <concrete utopias- and <archaeolo'ies of the future- of
e%ancipation, cannot 3e the responsi3ility of party leaderships or of
enli'htened leaders, as it 0as the conception in traditional left-0in'
politics+ Kor is it enou'h to seek the ad)ice of e8perts, as it is the
tendency in %any cases of left 0in' refor%is%+ 7hat 0e need is a
collecti)e process of e8peri%entation and kno0led'e production+ People
learn durin' %o)e%ents+ They are forced to learn the terrain of stru''le+
They are forced to understand their situation+ They are forced to think of
alternati)es+ This learnin' aspect of %o)e%ents of protest and social
e%ancipation is usually underesti%ated 3y the political Qeft+
Mo)e%ents can therefore 3eco%e <hot3eds- of ne0 proGects, can
dialectically and critically incorporate the e8periences of %ilitant action
and self-%ana'e%ent into a criti2ue of capitalist socialist relations that
leads to radical alternati)es, 3oth in the sense of a proGects, analysis,
transition pro'ra%s, 3ut also of a chan'ed <co%%on sense-, of
transfor%ed collecti)e representations+ That is 0hy 0e %ust 'o 3ack to
Nra%sci 0ho insisted on political or'aniHations and %o)e%ents 3ein' the
ela3orators of ne0 for%s of %ass intellectuality (&otiris !1"#+ Anly under
such conditions can 0e talk a3out the e%er'ence of not only %ass
%o)e%ents 3ut of a ne0 <historical 3loc-, of the encounter of a radicaliHed
alliance of the su3altern class, 0ith pro'ra%s of social e%ancipation and
transfor%ation, throu'h ne0 for%s of collecti)e or'aniHin', of
su3Gecti)ity, of ne0 for%s of %ass critical intellectuality+ It is only in this
sense that 0e can contri3ute to a profound social and cultural
transfor%ation, in the ter%s that Nra%sci descri3ed;
11
1
The educati)e-for%ati)e 0ork that a ho%o'eneous cultural centre carries
out, the ela3oration of a critical consciousness that it pro%otes and
fa)ours on a speci1c historical 3ase 0hich contains the concrete pre%ises
for such an ela3oration, cannot 3e li%ited to the si%ple theoretical
enunciation of <clear- %ethodolo'ical principles; this 0ould 3e to proceed
%erely in the %anner of the ei'hteenth-century <philosophes-+ The 0ork
needed is co%ple8 and %ust 3e articulated and 'raduated+ It re2uires a
co%3ination of deduction and induction, for%al lo'ic and dialectic,
identi1cation and distinction, positi)e de%onstration and the destruction
of the old+ And not in the a3stract 3ut in the concrete, on the 3asis of the
real and of actual e8perience+ (Nra%sci 16?5, L6"-L6@#
Af course this is not to 3e concei)ed si%ply in ter%s of the role to 3e
played 3y %ilitant radical acade%ics 0ith a %oral co%%it%ent to 0orkin'
0ithin the %o)e%ent+ It 0ill 3e a %uch 3roader, %ore collecti)e
e8perience+ But radical acade%ics ha)e the opportunity to 3e part of this
process, to face this challen'e, to 3eyond si%ply acade%ic di'nity to0ards
their contri3ution to the creation of an alternati)e future+ This process
The idea of the uni)ersity as de1ned 3y I%%anuel ,ant entails this
possi3ility, e)en thou'h the old %aster hi%self 0ould ha)e 3een content
0ith a %ore hu%ane and de%ocratic functionin' of pu3lic uni)ersities+ /or
us, facin' a'ain 0ith the possi3ility of potentially insurrectionary
se2uences, it is necessary to try and defend a certain idea of the
uni)ersity that at the sa%e ti%e includes ,ant-s conception and 'oes
3eyond it, 'oes to the direction of social e%ancipation and socialist
transfor%ation+ If 0e read ,ant-s reference to Pu3lic Oeason as e8actly
the collecti)e potential and o3li'ation for the thinkin' of ne0 social
relations, ne0 institutions, ne0 for%s of %ass intellectuality, in sharp
contrast to capitalist )iolence and e8ploitation, then 0hat 0e need is a
%o)e%ent that is at the sa%e ti%e social, political 3ut also cultural + The
Pu3lic (ni)ersity as a site of stru''les for he'e%ony can play an
i%portant role+ This is our responsi3ility+
Oeferences
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16?7+ Tr+ N+M+ Nosh'arian+ Qondon; Terso+
$errida, E+ (!!1#+ The future of the profession or the uni)ersity 0ithout
condition (thanks to the 9Ju%anities>, 0hat could take place to%orro0#+ In
1
1"
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1@