-- *Mar*Yes—*it is possible in principle to free universities from the economic stranglehold and from exclusive Cartesianism*, but it will *not happen automatically, quickly, or from within existing incentive structures*. It requires a *reorientation of purpose*, not merely reform. I’ll answer in three layers: *whether it is possible, what would be required, and what realistically can be done now*. ------------------------------ 1. Is It Possible?
*Yes, but only if universities cease to see themselves primarily as engines of economic production.* Historically, universities were not born as economic institutions. Nalanda, Takshashila, Plato’s Academy, medieval monasteries, and gurukulas were spaces of: - Contemplation - Direct perception - Dialogue with nature, self, and cosmos Cartesianism and economics entered universities *much later*, when knowledge was redefined as *utility* and education as *investment*. Once this happened, nature became a “resource,” students became “human capital,” and knowledge became “output.” So the problem is not inherent to universities—it is *historical and ideological*. ------------------------------ 2. What Prevents Liberation? Three interlocking forces keep universities bound: a) Economic Dependency Universities rely on: - State funding tied to economic outcomes - Corporate sponsorship - Employability metrics This forces curricula toward: - Measurable outputs - Market relevance - Technological manipulation Direct perception, sensing, silence, and feeling *cannot be quantified*, so they are excluded. b) Epistemological Monopoly Cartesianism presents itself not as *a method* but as *the only legitimate method*. Once this monopoly is accepted: - Feeling is labeled “subjective” - Sensing is dismissed as “unscientific” - Consciousness is treated as a byproduct or illusion Universities no longer ask *what is real?*—they ask *what can be measured?* c) Cultural Fear Direct perception destabilizes systems. A student who learns to feel the forest: - Will question economic growth - Will resist ecological destruction - Will not easily become a compliant consumer Thus, sensing is politically inconvenient. ------------------------------ 3. Can Universities Be Freed? A Realistic Answer*Universities cannot be fully freed from within—at least not at first.* Why? Because institutions defend their survival logic. Any system dependent on economics will protect economic priorities. *Liberation will begin at the edges*, not at the center. ------------------------------ 4. How Liberation Could Actually Happen1. Parallel Knowledge Spaces (Most Important) Historically, renewal never began inside dominant institutions. Examples: - Forest ashrams alongside kingdoms - Monasteries alongside empires - Independent studios alongside academies We need *parallel learning ecosystems*: - Small, place-based learning communities - Nature-embedded study - No grades, no rankings, no economic targets These will not replace universities immediately—but they will *outgrow them spiritually*. ------------------------------ 2. Reintroducing Direct Perception as Legitimate Inquiry This is radical but essential. Universities could allow: - Silent observation courses - Nature immersion without data extraction - Learning journals based on sensing, not analysis Not as “soft electives,” but as *foundational practices*. This would fracture Cartesian monopoly without destroying science. ------------------------------ 3. Economic Decoupling (Partial, Not Total) Total economic independence is unrealistic, but *partial insulation* is possible: - Endowment-based autonomy - Community-supported education - Low-scale, low-cost campuses The key is *frugality*, not funding expansion. ------------------------------ 4. New Measures of Knowledge Replace: - “What did you produce?” With: - “What did you perceive?” - “What changed in your relationship with life?” These are unscalable—but truth is rarely scalable. ------------------------------ 5. My View: A Necessary Warning Freeing universities alone will *not save nature*. Why? Because destruction is driven by: - Civilizational values - Consumer desire - Political power Universities reflect society more than they lead it. However, *without freeing education, no other liberation will last*. Education shapes: - How humans see nature - Whether they feel kinship or domination - Whether they listen or extract ------------------------------ 6. What Is Already Emerging (Quietly) Though invisible to rankings: - Some ecological universities - Indigenous knowledge schools - Contemplative science programs - Field-based learning collectives They are small, fragile, and often ignored—but *all meaningful change starts this way*. ------------------------------ 7. Final Answer (Plainly Stated) *Yes, universities can be freed—but only by redefining what knowledge is.* If knowledge remains: - A commodity - A tool of control - A servant of economics Then universities will remain engines of destruction. If knowledge is reclaimed as: - Relationship - Perception - Responsibility - Reverence Then universities can once again become places where *nature is met, not conquered*. But this will require courage—not innovation. And courage cannot be engineered. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. 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