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teršek ■ public universities in post-socialist states could become ‘un-academic’ ...
Before I bring this article to a close, I quote a conversation about uni-
versities, faculties, study, knowledge and the academic community with
an eminent Slovenian philosopher, publicist, critical intellectual, profes-
sor and friend. I recorded our conversation (Teršek 2018) and translated
it especially for publication in this article. I conclude by emphasising the
obvious problem: knowledge as a value is melting and disappearing at the
same time as universities are becoming almost non-academic institutions,
if not “companies” (comp. Clark, 1998; Teixeira et al., 2004).4
The lack of “civic courage”
For far too long, the public, the media and people born during the social-
ist era have been asking why there are no more active, committed and crit-
ical citizens in the public sphere.5 They wonder why one cannot find more
young people who are more explicit and confident about issues that are
not only interesting and serious, but also culturally and civilisationally
decisive, perhaps even existentially significant. And why are there so few
“velvet revolutionaries” left? What is the real reason for the absence of a
massive and determined reaction to developments in society that is pro-
ducing this situation of (e.g. Aristotelian) massive non-thinking and an-
ti-politics, they ask? And why are so few academics-as-intellectuals will-
ing to object and contravene the existing and dominating corporative
organisation of society as a whole, being created – not by politicians and
statesmen – but by daily political administrators – not rulers, but manag-
ers – who make up today’s nobility? Why did people settle so quickly on a
formal democracy instead of seeking and demanding a real substantial de-
mocracy? These questions and concerns are legitimate and justified.6
Education policy and the way universities work have much to do
with the problem. Despite potential discomfort due to their modest effec-
tiveness, academics must nevertheless make strong efforts to ensure their
4 However, in this article, I do not specifically address the issue of the relationship between
the university and the market. By “production”, I primarily mean a critical thesis about
the functioning of public universities as the production processes of ‘graduates and
formal diplomas’. So, I am thinking mainly of those aspects of the academy problem that
I highlight in section 7.
5 “Civic courage” is meant as a term describing willingness, sense of responsibility,
consciousness, ethical self-understanding and courage for being and acting as an active
and critical citizen, as a ‘political animal’ (according to Aristotle), to use intelligence, ratio
and knowledge in public (according to Kant), to act as such publicly, addressing the state
powers, members of the academia and general public as a whole, to be actively involved
in public life, to publicly appear and act as an active and critical political subject, to be an
intellectual (according to Sartre) as The Citizen (see Sruk (1986, 1995); Teršek (2008)).
6 For a comprehensive insight and overview of how the university in Slovenia was
established, see Benedetič (1999).
141
Before I bring this article to a close, I quote a conversation about uni-
versities, faculties, study, knowledge and the academic community with
an eminent Slovenian philosopher, publicist, critical intellectual, profes-
sor and friend. I recorded our conversation (Teršek 2018) and translated
it especially for publication in this article. I conclude by emphasising the
obvious problem: knowledge as a value is melting and disappearing at the
same time as universities are becoming almost non-academic institutions,
if not “companies” (comp. Clark, 1998; Teixeira et al., 2004).4
The lack of “civic courage”
For far too long, the public, the media and people born during the social-
ist era have been asking why there are no more active, committed and crit-
ical citizens in the public sphere.5 They wonder why one cannot find more
young people who are more explicit and confident about issues that are
not only interesting and serious, but also culturally and civilisationally
decisive, perhaps even existentially significant. And why are there so few
“velvet revolutionaries” left? What is the real reason for the absence of a
massive and determined reaction to developments in society that is pro-
ducing this situation of (e.g. Aristotelian) massive non-thinking and an-
ti-politics, they ask? And why are so few academics-as-intellectuals will-
ing to object and contravene the existing and dominating corporative
organisation of society as a whole, being created – not by politicians and
statesmen – but by daily political administrators – not rulers, but manag-
ers – who make up today’s nobility? Why did people settle so quickly on a
formal democracy instead of seeking and demanding a real substantial de-
mocracy? These questions and concerns are legitimate and justified.6
Education policy and the way universities work have much to do
with the problem. Despite potential discomfort due to their modest effec-
tiveness, academics must nevertheless make strong efforts to ensure their
4 However, in this article, I do not specifically address the issue of the relationship between
the university and the market. By “production”, I primarily mean a critical thesis about
the functioning of public universities as the production processes of ‘graduates and
formal diplomas’. So, I am thinking mainly of those aspects of the academy problem that
I highlight in section 7.
5 “Civic courage” is meant as a term describing willingness, sense of responsibility,
consciousness, ethical self-understanding and courage for being and acting as an active
and critical citizen, as a ‘political animal’ (according to Aristotle), to use intelligence, ratio
and knowledge in public (according to Kant), to act as such publicly, addressing the state
powers, members of the academia and general public as a whole, to be actively involved
in public life, to publicly appear and act as an active and critical political subject, to be an
intellectual (according to Sartre) as The Citizen (see Sruk (1986, 1995); Teršek (2008)).
6 For a comprehensive insight and overview of how the university in Slovenia was
established, see Benedetič (1999).
141
