Middlesex University philosophy department faces axe

Philosophy students at Middlesex are fighting to save their department. PHoto credit: Anna BrunettiAnna Brunetti

Anna Brunetti

Higher education is under attack due to the “narrow economic times.” Lord Mandelson, the former secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills, has ordered budget cuts of £600m by 2013 and has called for stronger ties between universities and business. The humanities studies have been the first victim of the downsizing.

The latest move was announced on the 26th of April by Dean Ed Esche of the School of Arts & Humanities, who said that the Philosophy Department of Middlesex University was to be entirely phased out in a few years’ time.

The department is one of the most highly regarded in the country. Its Research Centre for Modern European Philosophy is a first class provider of excellence worldwide. Its set of MAs is the largest in the UK and the department currently contributes almost half of its total income to the university’s central administration.

Right after the dean’s announcement, philosophy students asked for a meeting but found no response. Then on the 4th of May, they officially kicked off a crosswide campaign networking with other Universities. Through their website they set up a petition signed by almost 16,000 people and their Facebook group gathered over 12,000 members.

The group also earned the support of 30 world-renowned scholars such as Noam Chomsky and Slavoj Žižek who wrote a group letter to the dean.

Isabeau Doucet, 27, an anthropology student at Goldsmith University, joined the campaign worried that the announced closure was part of a more general and ideological attack on humanities: “These programmess promote criticism, political awareness and a comprehensive knowledge of how institutions and power work. They teach to question everything, to think critically and differently rather than to follow convenient and profitable paths.”

Those closing the programmes believe by targeting such a prestigious and internationally reputable department, the government made a preventative move to set the tone for further restraints to education.

The general assault on humanities provision at Middlesex began a couple of years ago when the history department was closed down.

“It all happened without opposition so the administration just got away with such drastic measures,” said Doucet. “This shows how vitally important it is to raise resistance against new offences to culture and education.”

“Those who study humanitarian topics don’t seem to have an obvious way to produce direct value for society,” said Johann Høiby, one of the organisers of the Middlesex campaign. “Education has been capitalized and became a ‘means to an end’ rather than an ‘end in itself.’ ”

The Middlesex’s management, after a formal negotiation with students, threatened with court injunction sending lawyers and police to ‘remove’ the protestors. The occupation was ended on the 15th of May. A week later, professors Peter Osborne, Peter Hallward and Christian Kerslake were issued with a letter of suspension from the University due to their involvement in the occupation. The notice they received blocks them from entering the premises or contacting any employee or student without going through the Dean. “This is how they act”, said Høiby. “But our campaign will continue because there is more to citizenship than business, innovation and skills.” “In fact – Isabeau adds – now more than before we need to challenge the siege to humanities and to Middlesex Department as the new Government is already announcing even narrower measures”.