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[ox-en] role of science and universities

Thomas Uwe Gruettmueller schreibt:


Then, the fact that the previous Oekonux conferences have been 
located in universities might have led some people to the 
conclusion that Oekonux makes a farce out of science as well. 
Today, universities tend to preach mostly things that are 
trivial, irrelevant or even wrong -- in other words: useless. 
Also, the unis are accessible only to an elite group, the topics 
one can study there are very narrow, and the studying time is 
limited. Terms like "studium generale" or "life long learning" 
are incompatible with a studying system that is designed to feed 
capitalism with fresh knowledge workers. Besides that, the 
current educational system is part of the content industry: the 
professors write proprietary books that their students have to 
buy; not only are university scientists allowed to gather 
patents, no, they are even encouraged. So, if you still think, 
that the place of the conference does matter, then please don't 
let it be in a university, again. This would be very bad for the 
reputation of Oekonux.


I think this is a dangerous conclusion. I would see it the other way round:

Science and universities have been created by modernising dukes and 
kings 400-500 years ago in order to improve the general base of society
for production and prosperity.

The capitalist state has organized support of science because it was
still the general condition of production. Science was public heritage
and property.

It is a symbol of decay that academic freedoms are limited, whole
society is "rationalized" and the conditions of scientific work 
are worsened.

A decay which is part of the decay of the national state.

The direct control of science by economy means economy is refuging
last resort to continue making profits. Its like an insect eating up
its own tail.

There are a lot of scientists within the university system that clearly
see that.

You show a bit of ignorance by not knowing that Herbert Hrachovec
is at the leading edge of introducing the principles of free software
into science: making all texts freely available and creating and main-
taining infrastructure for that.

His teaming up with Oekonux is a great opportunity: to show that 
the principles of Free Software are a way out of the crisis in such
social domains as science.

Franz

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