The Empty Academy: Neoliberalism, Patriarchy and the Crisis of Critical Knowledge

Abstract

Neoliberalism goes beyond a simple economic program or political ideology; it is a global civilizing project of a practical normative logic that defines the norms of life and social relations. But perhaps the greatest novelty offered by neoliberalism with respect to classical liberalism is the general principle of generalized competition that forces the rejection of cooperation as a basic principle of coexistence, equality and social development. This principle of generalized competition has been incorporated in all social organizations, including academia, as a reference of scientific knowledge. In the last 20 years, Higher Education Institutions have undergone a change of model under the protection of a deep economic and ethical crisis in Spain and the influence of globalization. In this sense, this paper focuses mainly on two issues: generalized competition and changes in higher education institutions in Spain. On the one hand, generalized competition has replaced cooperation as a basic principle in coexistence and social development and, on the other hand, higher education institutions in Spain have undergone changes that have increased inequality and the gender gap, leading to the consolidation of an elitist and patriarchal university.