Knowledge for sale: The neoliberal Takeover of Higher Education by Lawrence Busch (review)

In the book Knowledge for Sale: The Neoliberal Takeover of Higher Education, Lawrence Busch challenges the neoliberal philosophy of higher education that has taken hold of institutions across the world. The neoliberal economists advocate for transforming knowledge infrastructures to meet the demands of the market. They argued that the knowledge worth pursuing is that with more immediate market value. This notion of knowledge for sale has received great support from politicians and people in businesses who believed this would make a better society. Furthermore, political leaders have instituted various market-like changes to higher education institutions. Some of these changes include: "shifting the cost of education from the state to individual," "redefining higher education as a search for the highest [paying] job," "turning scholarly research into an individual form of competition based on … metrics," "instituting national and global competition among universities and research funding for prestige," and "increasing the numbers and enhancing the power and salaries of administrators in return for pursuing these market-like objectives" (p. xvii). Consequently, these changes have transformed the perception, as well as the behavior of students, scholars, and administrators to think in market terms and to act on market signals. In his book, Busch argues neoliberalism has failed, and he proposes ways to deconstruct the neoliberal views and open the market-like changes to democratic debate before it is too late for dialogue.

Knowledge for Sale is organized into ten themes. In the first theme, Busch discusses the market for knowledge, in particular, the crises of higher education and research institutions. According to Busch, the shifts in higher education and research would not be a problem were it not for the crises facing the world. Among others, Busch points out the major crises as: (a) climate change resulting from human activities; (b) rising and more volatile food prices especially in developing nations; (c) water shortages that have been a cause of unrest in some countries; (d) the rising energy costs; (e) increasing health problems, which raise health care costs, and (f) financial crises. Apart from funding, which seems to be the core of all the crises, Busch does not explain how food and water crises cause academic capitalism. Further, he describes these crises as "wicked problems … that cannot be solved through straightforward puzzle solving" (p. 3). In particular, the market forces cannot solve these crises as each involves not only technical change but also interactive changes in norms, laws, and standards. In other words, these crises are intertwined and require a comprehensive approach on solving them.

In the second and third themes, Busch discusses the concept of liberalisms, neoliberalism, and beyond neoliberalism. He offers an analysis of the way governments across the world have embraced markets and market-like competition, based on a false notion that the market model can solve both political and economic problems and is a source of liberty to people. Busch explains that neoliberalism has been defined differently across the world. To some, it is a school of thought in economics; to others, it is a plan of action, while others still consider it an ideology. Despite the differences in the way neoliberalism is defined, Busch identified six neoliberalism tenets that are globally accepted. The first tenet is that human knowledge is always [End Page E-1] limited; therefore, no person or organization can adequately plan alone. Second, neoliberalism is an irrefutable logical model that can transcend the limits of human knowledge. Third, institutions must be shaped to fit the logical model. Fourth, states' or government's ability to intervene in market affairs must be limited. Fifth, social justice both as a concept and as a set of policies is invalid. Finally, individuals are individually responsible and entrepreneurial.

According to Busch, these tenets are limiting. He argues that the problems of neoliberalism are uncountable, and there is a need to think beyond neoliberalisms. Busch argues that markets are not entirely natural and free; they are forms of governance...