Open AccessCommercial influences on the pursuit of wisdom
Author(s) -
Leemon B. McHenry
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
london review of education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.326
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 1474-8479
pISSN - 1474-8460
DOI - 10.1080/14748460701440665
Subject(s) - commercialization , corporatization , commodification , ideology , profit (economics) , business model , sociology , epistemology , positive economics , political science , economics , engineering ethics , management , neoclassical economics , philosophy , market economy , law , politics , engineering
This essay examines the effects of commercialization on education with particular focus on corporatization of academic research. This trend results from a business model of education, which I identify as profit-based inquiry. I contrast profit-based inquiry with Nicholas Maxwell's conception of wisdom-based inquiry and conclude that the business model fails to achieve enduring value and results in a promotional or ideological emphasis rather than one that stresses the importance of critical rationalism. In order to make my case for this failure, I focus attention on the current state of commercialization in research of medicines.
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