The new spirit of capitalism in European Liberal Arts programs^*

* The paper was originally written in German, included a survey as well as its analysis and was translated in occasion of this publication.

Abstract

The following paper suggests a connection between recent developments in the justification of the capitalist system and contemporary European Liberal Arts programs. By looking at Luc Boltanski’s and Eve Chiapello’s study on The New Spirit Of Capitalism and Gilles Deleuze’s term of societies of control we highlight a pivot within Western societies towards flexibility, creativity and self-fulfillment as essential requirements on the job market. We then link this observation to European Liberal Arts programs and ask to what extent the Liberal Arts’ self-understanding, as it appears at European universities, conforms to this new capitalist imperative. Furthermore, we examine how we experienced these claims during our time as Liberal Arts students.

Keywords:

• European Liberal Arts
• new spirit of capitalism
• societies of control
• creativity, autonomy and self-responsibility

Notes

* The paper was originally written in German, included a survey as well as its analysis and was translated in occasion of this publication.

1. Translated by the authors.

2. Another publication that covers large parts of the discussion about the ambivalence of creativity and innovation is: Raunig et al. (2016).

3. Translated by the authors.

4. Deleuze positions his arguments also in the light of the liberalized financial markets and it’s first appearing effects on the working world and the conception of success around this time.

5. The consulted sources are open for access as they are all part of the official and public self- representation of the programs. In this part, no scientific or external sources will be included, simply because there are none dealing specifically with the programs that were chosen as examples here. Having the analysis based on digital content, one has to take into account, that they do not allow a historicization or a comparison based on different phases of the major. Those documents—websites as well as official guidance/documents—are changed and adjusted constantly, they are overwritten or become inaccessible as the programs are still in a stage of development.

6. This and all following online sources have last been accessed on 19 September 2016.

7. Warwick’s Liberal Arts program promotes the intended degree as following: ‘On this degree you will be challenged to think in original ways, beyond disciplinary boundaries, and to develop your ability for self-awareness and self-governance’ (http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/schoolforcross-facultystudies/liberalarts/aboutus/message/) (highlighted by the authors). So not only responsibility but also constant self-awareness and governance of one’s own character and personality are qualities, which can be gained and trained within Liberal Arts programs.

8. In their program handbook, they state: ‘Based on our beliefs about students and about knowledge, we believe that Bachelor education should create a space for self-motivated and dynamic students to become active agents in collective knowledge production’ (handbook_uni-freiburg.de, highlighted by the authors).

9. Again, this quality is linked to the tradition of liberal arts education as ECOLAS describe their mission: ‘The mission of ECOLAS is to foster and disseminate the good practices necessary to sustain the teaching of the ideals and skills necessary for life-long learning and good citizenship inherent in the tradition of liberal arts and sciences education’ (Ecolas, ‘Our mission, vision & activites’, highlighted by the authors).

10. Highlighted by the authors. The SI wrote in in its core document defining the program in 2012 that students should develop ‘a habitus of life-long learning, which enables them, to develop and groom their personal competences autonomous and self-reliant in their future professional life’ (Leuphana Universität. ‘Programmordner, Leuphana Bachelor, Studium Individuale, Selbstdokumentation’ Leuphana Universität, August 27, 2012, p. 19). Translated by the authors.

11. Highlighted by the authors. See also: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/libarts/liberal/#Learning.

12. See endnote 3 for the quote. For the discourse on constant advising and »360-degree feedback« in relation to Foucault’s concept of Governmentality within the contemporary working world, see for example Bröckling, (2003).

13. The FSA is an official document that defines the rights and duties of students to successfully complete this specific major.

14. All following citations from the ‘Leuphana University, FSA’ are translated by the authors.

15. Translated by the authors.

16. Being able to equate demotivation with depression is another significant sign of how recognition works in our society.

17. What is to be stressed here is the aspect of continuity between oneself, one’s momentary project and one’s life in general. Being organized, responsible and in the end successful (or having failed) within one of the realms, certainly affects the others as well. Foucault describes this aspect in reference to Machiavelli as upward and downward continuity of governing different layers of one’s responsibilities. He writes:

18. Translated by the authors. For a similar discussion on the topic of learning as investment and the relation between biopolitics and education see i.e. Marshall, (2013) (especially chapter 2); Simons, (2006) and Simons and Masschelein, (2006).