They're going to destroy philosophy, of course, of course. They're going to loose the dogs of capitalism to tear us to pieces – of course. Philosophy is the quarry – but all humanities subjects are quarries. As all of higher education is a quarry …
Sometimes, W. is tempted by the idea that philosophy might be liberated by its destruction. Perhaps, extinguished in the universtities, it might soar into its own sky, free of every institutional encumbrance.
Perhaps there will be a new age of thinker-Cynics, former academics, living on the streets and speaking truth to power. Perhaps new Socrateses will question empty-headed yuppies in the marketplace …
But then he reminds himself that in the future, the streets will be sold off, and all public spaces privatised. He reminds himself that capitalism has no face, that the financial markets only a simmering chaos.
What kind of Cynic could speak the truth to an impersonal system? What Socrates could be a gadfly to simmering chaos?
Lars Iyer's Blog 