Scholars and Militants: Injecting Direct Action Into Academia
Written By: Joshua Hodges
During the first week of December 2020, I had the pleasure of attending the 60th anniversary conference of the Ecological Society of Australia. This event was attended virtually by hundreds of Australia’s top ecologists and biologists—with a diverse array of topics covered including fire management, drought, ecosystem and species decline and climate change. Many of the presentations touched on the artificial separation between people and nature as a key driver of these ecological crises under capitalism—which has been recognised by Marxist scholars for more than a century(1)(2). I was pleased to find—particularly among young researchers—a growing consensus that capitalism is the underlying cause of ecological crises. As a Marxist-Leninist academic, ESA 2020 felt like the beginning of a real turning point—with the intelligentsia of Australia’s ecological community finally moving away from market-based ecology.
“I fear corruption of our governments, censorship by funding bodies and capitalist publishing models are preventing us from truly serving the interests of the people”
However, I was disappointed that although much has been spent on data collection, experimentation, monitoring and publishing—there was little discussion of what direct actions could be taken to reverse the numerous ecological crises we are facing. The conference failed to recognise—that at the end of the day—science and data alone will not prevent climate change or environmental degradation. There must be direct action—informed by data and scientific evidence—to combat these crises. Sadly, I left with the words of militant abolitionist John Brown ringing in my ears, “these men are all talk, what we need is action!”
But why are academics unwilling to take direct action to overcome the scourge of capitalism and its many ecological crises? Firstly, academics fear reprisal from employers. In a recently published survey, more than half of Australia’s ecologists reported being censored by their employers (3). As one respondent to Driscoll et al 2020’s survey stated:
“We are often forbidden from talking about the true impacts of a threatening process […] especially if the government is doing little to mitigate the threat […] In this way the public often remains ‘in the dark’ about the true state and trends of many species.”
Additionally, scientists fear reprisal from funding bodies. For example, many restoration scientists are funded by mining companies to rehabilitate retired mine sites. These academics are unlikely to publish papers that are explicitly anti-mining, for fear of being frozen out of funding opportunities and the job market. As another academic reported (4):
“I proposed an article in ‘The Conversation’ about the impacts of mining […] the uni I worked at didn’t like the idea as they received funding from the mining company.”
Scientists also fear reprisal from authorities. On the 8th of December, the house of data scientist and whistle-blower Rebekah D. Jones was raided by Police. In a sobering case of police brutality, Jones and her children had guns pointed in their faces, and laptops containing data on COVID-19 and government corruption were confiscated. This is blatant suppression, and paints a grim picture of the fate that awaits academics which do not toe the line.
What is to be done?
While there is inarguably cause for concern among scientists wishing to take action, it is important to note that many activists—from all walks of life—risk themselves every day. Whether it be protestors blocking evictions, resisting police brutality, challenging fascists or attending rallies. It is crucial that academics be willing to stand in solidarity with the working class, otherwise what is our scholarship worth?
When searching for ways to become more involved in direct action as an academic there are many Marxist-Leninist intellectuals to emulate, perhaps most notably Marx and Lenin themselves. However, I would argue that the best contemporary example to draw from is Dr Walter Rodney, and his model of the ‘guerrilla intellectual’. Rodney, in the proudest tradition of Marx and Lenin recognised that research should only be a small part of an academic’s work. Rodney recognised that although scholarship and theory is essential to the movement, it is no substitute for direct action. He argued that academics occupy a privileged place in society, and that privilege should be used to aid the working class in their struggle for liberation. Science for science sake is not the answer—we must take concrete actions to free the working class from the scourge of capitalism. Especially when science is increasingly being spun by the capitalist-class to serve their own interests—ultimately the veneer of political neutrality in science serves only the bourgeoisie.
But how is that to be done? One answer is to involve yourself in militant organisations such as the Community Union Defence League—by cooking and serving food to people who need it. Handing out food to the homeless is a particularly effective way to tackle a key social issue directly. It serves as an example of how direct action serves vulnerable people—and builds the leadership of the communist movement within often overlooked members of the working class. There are also direct actions that can be taken alongside our day to day work within academia:
Education is the key role of academics within Marxist movements. Taking an active role in educating the working class on Marxist theory and practice is crucial for any ‘guerrilla academic’. This does not mean talking down to non-academics, it means actively supporting their education by disseminating information and running classes in a way that is accessible to a broad audience—not just other academics. We are teachers—but we are also students—and can learn as much from activists and workers as they can learn from us.
Publishing and speaking at conferences in a way that is accessible to the broader public. Remember academics provide the theoretical and practical framework for the revolutionary transition from capitalism to socialism. To do this, academics should—as much as possible—reject capitalist publishing models which involve paywalls or author-processing charges and publish in community journals that appeal directly to working class readers. If this is not possible, scholars should write plain-language summaries of their work in the forms of articles and pamphlets that can be disseminated to the public. Also speak frequently at conferences and events that are attended by the broader community—not just other academics.
Do not shy away from naming the root cause of social, economic and environmental crises—capitalism. Publish and speak frequently on the need to overcome these in an accessible way.
Establish transdisciplinary research groups to develop practical knowledge that can aid the working class in their struggle against the bourgeoisie. To tackle capitalism, we must research practical solutions to contemporary issues relevant to today’s proletariat, and challenge historical revisionism by analysing past events through an explicitly Marxist-Leninist lens.
Establish community organisations that can put your research into practical use. That might mean publishing pamphlets so that your research can be utilised by community members. For example, lawyers may offer pro bono legal services to those that need it. As a botanist and fire ecologist, I established a community seed bank to aid drought and bushfire recovery, publish pamphlets and aim to write a series of adult and children’s books to promote sustainable agriculture, fire management, conservation and restoration.
Scientists work hard every day to provide data and evidence that can be used to address ecological crises. However, I fear corruption of our governments, censorship by funding bodies and capitalist publishing models are preventing us from truly serving the interests of the people. My hope, is that this article acts as a ‘call to arms’ for academics to reject science for sciences sake and to take direct action. To put your science into action, regardless of push back from authorities and funding bodies.
Take a stand fellow scientists, you have nothing to lose but your chains.
References
Driscoll, Don, Euan Ritchie, Noel D. Preece, and Bob Pressey. ‘Research Reveals Shocking Detail on How Australia’s Environmental Scientists Are Being Silenced’. The Conversation, 2020.
Foster, John Bellamy. Marx’s Ecology: Materialism and Nature. NYU Press, 2000.
Stahnke, Ben. ‘Lenin, Ecology and Revolutionary Russia’. Peace, Land and Bread 1, no. 1 (2020): 2–13.
1 Foster, Marx’s Ecology.
2 Stahnke, ‘Lenin, Ecology and Revolutionary Russia’.
3 Driscoll et al., ‘Research Reveals Shocking Detail on How Australia’s Environmental Scientists Are Being Silenced’.
4 Driscoll et al.