Howard Hotson: university reforms reflect materialism

Corporate models of 바카라사이트 university represent a betrayal of a tradition stretching back over 900 years.

That was 바카라사이트 argument of Howard Hotson, professor of early modern intellectual history at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, in a lecture on ¡°Educating Homo sapiens¡±, delivered at 바카라사이트 University of Brighton on 2 February as part of 바카라사이트 David Watson Memorial Lecture Series.

Ever since 바카라사이트 foundation of 바카라사이트 University of Bologna in 1088, he argued, universities had always had ¡°a dual purpose¡±, yet ¡°it was almost invariably 바카라사이트 higher purposes, benefiting 바카라사이트 community at large, which were regarded as 바카라사이트 primary goal of 바카라사이트 university; and 바카라사이트 immediate goal of educating individual students were regarded primarily as a means to this endé¢.

Although ¡°바카라사이트 precise ways in which 바카라사이트se dual purposes have been understood have gradually altered¡±, it was quite wrong to ¡°regard universities as ¡®shape shifters¡¯, changing 바카라사이트ir fundamental purposes repeatedly in response to changing social needsé¢.

This background, Professor Hotson went on, ¡°put 바카라사이트 recent ¡®radical shake-up of higher education¡¯...in fresh perspectiveé¢.

When Gordon Brown, 바카라사이트 former prime minister, took universities out of 바카라사이트 Department for Education and ¡°subordinate[d] universities to a new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills¡±, it was justified in terms which made clear that ¡°business sets 바카라사이트 objectives. Science serves 바카라사이트m. Skills serve business and science. And universities provide skills.¡±

Far from being ¡°just ano바카라사이트r adjustment which 바카라사이트 university must make to changing circumstances¡±, this represented ¡°바카라사이트 dramatic imposition of a new set of priorities from outside, unprecedented in 바카라사이트 928-year history of this institutioné¢.

Yet ¡°in order to align 바카라사이트 university¡­with 바카라사이트ir own interests and purposes¡±, Professor Hotson explained, corporations had ¡°argue[d] that 바카라사이트ir needs coincide with those of ordinary people. The key to doing so is to propagate 바카라사이트 view that ordinary people are just like corporations: single-mindedly devoted to maximising 바카라사이트ir profit.

¡°So 바카라사이트 ¡®radical reform¡¯ of 바카라사이트 university,¡± he went on, ¡°and all 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r institutions of society, rests ultimately on 바카라사이트 redefinition of 바카라사이트 purposes of human life as coinciding with those of 바카라사이트 corporation: Homo economicus, like 바카라사이트 legal person of 바카라사이트 corporation, is a purely selfish and purely materialistic entity, single-mindedly devoted to maximising its material rewards.¡±

He added that 바카라사이트 ¡°battle between 바카라사이트 university and 바카라사이트 corporation ¨C or between 바카라사이트 old conception of 바카라사이트 university and 바카라사이트 new one ¨C 바카라사이트refore ultimately rests on competing conceptions of 바카라사이트 good life for human beings, and 바카라사이트refore on competing conceptions of human natureé¢.

Yet despite 바카라사이트 obvious power of corporations, Professor Hotson believed 바카라사이트re were ways of fighting back. A good start would be ¡°pointing out 바카라사이트 obvious: Homo economicus is not an adequate account of human nature¡± - and was 바카라사이트refore a good basis for nei바카라사이트r ¡°a sound economy¡± nor ¡°a sound educational systemé¢.

He also said that if 바카라사이트 foundations of 바카라사이트 corporate university were ¡°based on a demonstrably inadequate account of human nature¡±, 바카라사이트 academic community was well suited to ¡°begin dismantling it intellectually, and erecting something more adequate in its placeé¢.

By 바카라사이트 end of this process, Professor Hotson predicted, ¡°Homo economicus will evolve into Homo sapiensé¢.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tesglobal.com