ISSN 1927-0232 [Print] ISSN 1927-0240 [Online] www.cscanada.net www.cscanada.org Higher Education of Social Science Vol. 5, No. 1, 2013, pp. 16-20 DOI:10.3968/j.hess.1927024020130501.2519 16 Copyright © Canadian Research & Development Center of Sciences and Cultures On the Present and (Dark) Future of Academia and Humanities Eros Corazza [a],[b],* [a] Professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Sciences. Ikerbasque Research Professor, ILCLI-UPV, Donostia, Spain. [b] Philosophy & Cognitive Sciences, Carleton University, Otawa, Canada. * Corresponding author. Received 21 January 2013; accepted 3 April 2013 Abstract I have a pessimistic view on the present and future of high education in general, and humanities in particular. As I see things, we face three main related problems. The ｿUVW LV ZKDW , ZRXOG FKDUDFWHUL]H DV FRUSRUDWH FRQWURO WKH second, what I perceive as a class-divide enterprise; and the third as an attempt to limit the freedom of expression. I should add that my general impressions are mainly based on what I perceived within the North American higher educational system and in Europe, especially in England. Furthermore, I do not claim to be discovering something sociologically novel. What’s happening in KLJKHU HGXFDWLRQ LV D PHUH UHﾀHFWLRQ RI ZKDWｶV JRLQJ RQ in our neo-liberal capitalist society. My aim is modest. It mainly consists in highlighting how the neo-liberal DQG JOREDOL]DWLRQ PDUNHWLQJ SURFHVVHV DUH DIIHFWLQJ higher education and research. The conclusion doesn’t look rosy. Intellectuals, philosophers in particular, VKRXOG WDNH WLPH WR UHﾀHFW RQ WKH FXUUHQW FRUUXSWLRQ RI academia, and take a stance against the attack on the integrity of higher education. Key words: Neo-liberal capitalist society; Corruption RI DFDGHPLD *OREDOL]DWLRQ $FDGHPLD DQG +XPDQLWLHV (URV &RUD]]D  2Q WKH 3UHVHQW DQG 'DUN )XWXUH RI $FDGHPLD DQG +XPDQLWLHV Higher Education of Social Science, 5  16-20. Available from: URL: http://www.cscanada.net/ index.php/hess/article/view/j.hess.1927024020130501.2519 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/j.hess.1927024020130501.2519 I have a pessimistic view on the present and future of high education in general, and humanities in particular. As I see things, we face three main related problems. The ｿUVW LV ZKDW , ZRXOG FKDUDFWHUL]H DV corporate control; the second, what I perceive as a class-divide enterprise; and the third as an attempt to limit the freedom of expression. I should add that my general impressions are mainly based on what I perceived within the North American higher educational system and in Europe, especially in England. Furthermore, I do not claim to be discovering something sociologically novel. What’s happening in KLJKHU HGXFDWLRQ LV D PHUH UHﾀHFWLRQ RI ZKDWｶV JRLQJ RQ in our neo-liberal capitalist society. My aim is modest. It mainly consists in highlighting how the neo-liberal DQG JOREDOL]DWLRQ PDUNHWLQJ SURFHVVHV DUH DIIHFWLQJ higher education and research. The conclusion doesn’t look rosy. Intellectuals, philosophers in particular, VKRXOG WDNH WLPH WR UHﾀHFW RQ WKH FXUUHQW FRUUXSWLRQ RI academia, and take a stance against the attack on the integrity of higher education. 1. CORPORATIONS CONTROL AND PROFITS 7KH JHQHUDO SLFWXUH FDQ EH VXPPDUL]HG DV IROORZV ZH KDYH WD[SD\HUVｶ PRQH\ VXEVLGL]LQJ DFDGHPLF UHVHDUFK DQG education that ends up profiting big private businesses and corporations. As a matter of fact, a lot of research DQG HGXFDWLRQ LV JRYHUQPHQWDOO\ VSRQVRUHG EH LW by the central government, or sub-state governance. In short, scholars engaged in higher education and/ or research get subventions, either through their salary and/or governmental grants partly or fully paid by tax- payers money and student loans. Their research outcomes, GLUHFWO\ RU LQGLUHFWO\ HQGV XS SURｿWLQJ WKH &(2V DQGRU VKDUHKROGHUV RI SULYDWH FRUSRUDWLRQV ,W VXIｿFHV WR WKLQN RI ZKRP PRVW RI WKH UHVHDUFK UHODWHG WR DUWLｿFLDO LQWHOOLJHQFH WXUQV RXW EHQHｿWLQJ &RUSRUDWLRQV VXFK DV $SSOH RU ,%0 not to mention nowadays internet-related businesses, such DV *RRJOH )DFHERRN (ED\ DQG $PD]RQ KDYH XOWLPDWHO\ been possible thanks to tax-payers’ money. The latter, i.e.