Re: [ox-en] role of science and universities
- From: Graham Seaman <graham seul.org>
- Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 08:07:38 -0400 (EDT)
On Wed, 22 Oct 2003, Thomas Berker wrote:
--On 18. oktober 2003 19:21 -0400 graham seul.org wrote:
On 17 Oct 2003, Rich Walker wrote:
Free software has peer review, peer contribution and end-user review.
This is a significant difference from the processes that occur in
academia.
This is NOT a significant difference from the processes that SHOULD occur
in academia.
In other words, (once again) free software may have been influenced by
academia in its origins ( TeX, Knuth, and the academic maths community
spring to mind) but now the important influences (even if they are more
potential than actual) are in the opposite direction.
Research that "has peer review, peer contribution and end-user review"
(Rich) does exist. Some call it Action Research. And I guess that is not the
only kind of research, which takes all the freedom promised during the early
stage of the age of enlightenment seriously. Instead of freedom of theory
and praxis for all - after all "there is no God, no superiour being", we now
have freedom of theory and action for few, freedom of theory for some more,
no freedom at all for the rest.
I'm reading an old book by Ivan Illich - 'Shadow Work'. He talks about a
movement called 'research by people' (as opposed to research for people,
the 'normal' kind). Googling gives me some possible traces of this but
only related to people with disabilities:
http://www.minervation.com/ld/advocacy/research/paradigm.html
I have a suspicion that Illich's description of 'research by people' as
a 'movement' may have been wishful thinking. Have you ever heard of it?
And, yes, it was marginalised as soon as it threatened the (then) newly
established power structures [1].
I cherish Free Software for having the potential to realise the initial
promise of enlightenment ("everyone has the right to be every possible
potentiality of mankind, freely chosen by every individual") behind the backs
of everyone involved.
Thus, I see a deeper link between academia and FS, which - in my opinion -
should not be easily discarded pointing at mainstream research, which never
was particularly different from today: providing legitimacy for the powerful
and their privileges.
La universidad moderna ha alienado su oportunidad de proporcionar
sencillamente un marco para encuentros autónomos y anárquos,
orientados pero no planificados, entusiastas. En cambio, ha elegido
convertirse en gerente de un proceso que fabrica los productos llamados
investigación ydocencia. [http://www.ivanillich.org/]
[The modern university has thrown away its chance to simply provide a
space for autonomous, anarchic meetings, with direction but without
planning, based on enthusiasm. In exchange, it has chosen to convert
itself into the manager of a process which manufactures the products
called research and teaching.]
I like this - the convergence of teaching and research, which should not
be separated (as they are not separated in free software). But it seems
to me that teaching in universities has gone so far down a different road
it would be extremely difficult to get it back, however deep the
underlying links are.
Best,
Graham
Best, Thomas Be
[1] BTW, Marx, in his Enquete Ouvriere, did some kind of very early Action
Research, planning to make respondents think about their work situation while
answering the questionnaire.
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