Rethinking Higher Education in a Time of Tyranny

Rethink higher education as a crucial democratic public sphere in times of tyranny and authoritarianism is the main goal of this article. Tyranny and authoritarianism are not just the product of state violence and repression, but also thrive on popular docility, mass apathy, and a flight from moral responsibility. Moreover, democracy is being voted down and aggressively dismantled in many countries around the world. Critical public spheres from public radio to the public schools have been defunded, commercialized, and privatized transforming them from spheres of critical analysis to dumbed-down workstations for a deregulated and commodified culture. In this context, many institutions of higher education are more than willing to name buildings after corporate donors, accept gifts, and allow conservative and corporate funded research centers on their campuses. This paper also provides an overview about what is happening in Trump’s America, where democratic governance is required to combat civic illiteracy promoted by so many medias. In conclusion, this work makes recommendations that provide an alternative to some of the oppressive conditions now shaping institutions of higher learning.