University Philosophy
Nature, society and history represent the basis of science, after millions of years of development in human life, the human mind has reached the level of questioning and inquiry and as a result the first scientific step has been taken, as this chain has not been broken from the beginning until now, so today's development goes back to those beginnings, and if development denies its beginning and causes, it destroys its foundation.
When we want to give science a comprehensive definition that prevents science, it is necessary first of all to say that "nature and the work of society that complement and develop each other throughout history, all knowledge that has become a system, we can say that it is science..." The meaning of life and existence, as well as knowledge and holiness hidden in the essence of society, must be included in this definition.
In history, scientific work has faced many difficult obstacles, and approaches to dominant power over science and patriarchal approaches to nature and women have persisted for thousands of years. The Neolithic revolution led by women was the source of science, when power stole this scientific knowledge from society, while at the same time alienating women who had that knowledge from science.
For hundreds of years, women have struggled to enter fields of knowledge and science that are under the rule of power and men, but they have been forcibly left out of these fields, and this struggle continues today in all academic fields, especially in universities.
After the Industrial Revolution, most universities were monopolized by the nation-state, and according to the requirements of the government and the state, they turned to specialization, in general and through universities and laboratories the natural sciences (chemistry, physics, chemistry, biology, etc.) became at the service of the corporate and state sectors, and the social sciences were formed.
(History, philosophy, sociology, psychology, art, literature) through positivist interpretations. In the competition and race of capitalism of the state and corporations, science has become a tool and has been used many times. As a result, the two world wars that caused mass massacres and the destruction of meaningful values were significant.
On the other hand, the deadly technology that was used in both world wars was unfortunately created in “scientific laboratories”, and the social sciences studied formed the basis of awareness of this fact.
This dangerous and deadly relationship between power and science is still at its peak today.
Mass diseases, nuclear and biological weapons, massacres, pollution of nature, human disasters, crimes against women, hunger, rural and urban collapse etc... This is the reality of today, but at the same time science is nevertheless praised.
Is this gloomy and horrific picture has nothing to do with the sciences and universities of our time! Unfortunately there is. The most important question is: Is there a greater evil than the evil that comes from the relationship between science-corporations and the state-science? About one hundred million people were killed, wounded and lost in the two world wars. The values of humanity have fallen, the atomic bomb has been detonated at the head of society, this deadly technology has been developed in “scientific laboratories”. Even today, corona disease and many other diseases have brought humanity. On the one hand, statistics (census rate) of the deceased are published, and on the other hand, companies that sell medicines provide statistics of the billions of dollars they have “earned” from this situation.
On the one hand, obesity in the so-called “democratic and developed” continents, and on the other hand, hunger diseases and images of hungry children with only bones, in the so-called “underdeveloped” countries..!”
Some of the world’s richest people with hundreds of billions of dollars have entered the race for wealth, but billions of people have no clean food or water.
Then the question repeats: how and for whom? And for what is knowledge, science, university, laboratory... Etcetera?
Result:
1- Science, its identity and definition before all its other features and characteristics is “societal”. Because its level today is the result of thousands of years of community work. But capitalist modernity shows itself as its owner and creator with misleading narratives.
2- Science is without philosophy and far from social and universal ethics. It is a weapon aimed at society and is about to explode, when science was cut off from moral and political society, it became an instrument of power and against society.
3- Science needs to return to its social nature, science that develops with the common mind of society can bring society to its truth and purpose, and paintings and dark and terrible life will not then be the fate of society.
4- As a place of science and philosophy, “university” and “academy” should not be instruments of power. Let her identity, essence and purpose be social.
5- Universities need to be awareness makers and truth-activists in creating and developing a moral and political society.
6- Universities should also combat sexism and develop academic opportunities for women in all their fields.
7- There is no doubt that it is necessary for universities to be decisive and to have a place in the fight against all kinds of occupation and genocide of society and nature. To be supportive of philosophy, ethics and social policy, to be nature-preserving and to have a leading role.
8- The saying “science is power” is a fact, but the important thing is that this power is used in front of what and in front of whom, of course this power must be constructive and social, and not destructive and governing.