Academic Radicalism in the Present Conjuncture: The University as a Contested Terrain

This essay reflects on academic radicalism in the current conjuncture, focusing on the position of tenured faculty within the modern university. It links the prevailing regime of intimidation and coercion against radicalism and critical thought to the ongoing crisis of the university—marked by widespread popular disenchantment—and situates both within the broader crisis of global capitalism. The essay argues that the university’s significance must be understood, among other factors, through its material and ideological role in securing the conditions for capitalism’s existence and reproduction across both “advanced” and postcolonial capitalist economies. In this context, it contends that academic radicalism can only be sustained by recognizing that the earlier sanction for criticality—once instrumental in legitimizing capitalism’s enlightened self-image—has ceased to serve any significant systemic role at the present moment. JEL Classification : B50, P10, P16