Welcome to the Conscience Collective

“Censorship is advertising paid for by someone else”

-Frederico Fellini 

In the arras of human civilisation, the pursuit of knowledge has been an indomitable feature. Institutions like schools, colleges and universities of various prestige have been historically sacrosanct to the quest for intellect and often the North Star for the same as well. Nonetheless, recent trends have provided harrowing accounts of actors and actions which have been deleterious to the indefatigable halls of knowledge. 

Institutions which have been beloved ever since clocks started ticking for their contestation of ideas have increasingly begun to succumb to dastardly actors whose sole purpose is to sabotage and vandalise forums for critical thought and discussion. This capitulation to intellectual conformity is not merely a betrayal of academic principles but a diminution of the very essence of scholarship. The corollary of such intellectual repression is a generation of students deprived of indispensable features likes criticality and uniqueness, resulting in the nurturing of a generation which knows nothing but conformity. 

The Orwellian dystopia, where a state or other dominant parties dictate the limitation of acceptable thought, is no longer an imaginary entity but rather an aspirational one. Moreover, the state is not the only entity that is used to exercise censorship power. Intellectual autonomy is also in a situation critical owing to corporate intrusion into academia. The resulting commodification of education and the conversion of knowledge into a product that can be sold or used for profit has meant that academic institutions can cater to the demands of the capitalist market. The exigencies of profit are now the inspiring factor for research agendas, and scholarship that goes otherwise is frequently marginalised, discouraged or even suppressed.

Furthermore, the ramifications of censorship are not confined to the hallowed halls of the academic ivory tower, rather the staples of conformity have meant that accountability is a frowned upon aspect in every dimension. The diminution of academic freedom is thus inimical to the very tenets of democracy, which rests upon the foundation of an informed and engaged populace.

In this context, it is integral that academics and budding academics find a platform to divulge their thoughts without having to conform to the wants of their paychecks or gurus. The Conscience Collective as the name suggests is a platform that calls for a renewed emphasis on fostering a culture of respectful yet vigorous debate, where ideas can be contested without fear of ridicule. Our aim is to cater to the intellectual spectre mutilated by academic censorship and to keep the indomitable ideals of freedom and democratic engagement in the limelight. Right where they deserve to be. 

Picture credit: Pink Floyd (1982), The Wall [Film]