The Space of Bad Faith BADER ALBADER Ph.D. in Architecture

ABSTRACT Provoked by Ananya Roy’s activist lecture tour, this essay questions the efficacy of academia’s social critique and the notions of agency and vocation that emerge therefrom. Moving from Roy’s reinterpretation of liberalism and Marxism to an appraisal of academic space as a faithless one shorn of its intended social and urban impact, this essay wonders out loud if academic production is too safe a space when it comes down to the political. Academics are necessarily involved in the production of sociopolitical conditions which are the subject of academic criticism. Rather than disavowing their connection to the nation state, academics should acknowledge their role in it. Taking cues from popular culture, this essay polemically prods scholars toward a discomfiting disengagement from the academic comfort that may stand in the way of difficult engagement with the world beyond academia. Aspirational as this is, the hope is that the practice of humbling (self-) honesty short-circuits to a hubristic heroism, mortal as that may be.

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for critics to try on new headgear or expose expose or headgear new on to try critics for like look would it what Iwonder privilege, their relative Given consequences. quietistic non- has theory that fact the with terms indulgence and coming to benignly rarefied a as image its puncturing means criticality to academic gaze critical the Turning criticism. academic of subject the are which conditions of sociopolitical the production in involved necessarily are they mentors, and intellectuals as capacities their in that, to acknowledge ought Academics service. of to be enough not is critical be to suggests, formulation Shapiro’s as But servile. the over gazing cerebral the registers, institutional different occupying with content generally are They two. the of favorite their wearing comfortable grown have they but hats, two these between to alternate members its for space affords university the that to deny not is This tracks. and scholarly professional coextensive but discrete comprising convenient symbiosis a in coexist academe of modes two the schizophrenic, appears this duality Though critic. its and servant society’s once at was Iwouldthought the case, now.” stop that was writing ofignoble the impossible utopia. to scale indeed death, I walls If try they as send ortyranny, that words our waves of will to good warriors their society abused be bycity, leaders will mad for power, them into yet another by turning “Theredangerthatlittle images is the our very of society,good the or good look at inwardly themselves –asplit personality.” bewhencan look they world at the external how and conservative when they Shapiro pronounced that the university university the that pronounced Shapiro 10 Michigan’s of University the as address inaugural n his [E]xperience academic with reform how some illustrated radical professors th president, Harold Harold president, 3

85 surprise that her recent scholarship turns turns scholarship recent her that surprise no is It to slay. wishes she adragon of mouth the in herself finds Roy universities, at American scholarship producing origin academe.” World First in arrived have who intellectuals World “Third those of one as position her of aproduct is postcolonialism Roy’s terms, Dirlik’s To Arif use models. urban American Euro- against not and terms own their on studied to be ought South Global the in of cities that the particularities asserting studies, urban by perpetrated differences sociocultural and urban global of flattening the critiqued long has Roy urbanism, postcolonial and global of A scholar unexamined. life academic an of and identity political internalized of inhospitality the of critiques are they subtly, More behavior. innocent of criminalization the and power legal of illegalities the of quo. status barefaced) new(ly the to challenge tour lecture academic international an on embarked “Age has the Trumpism,”of she of advent the of aware Acutely turn. scholarly recent Roy’s Ananya by provoked here I am altogether.their crowns 4 Her lectures are fitting denunciations denunciations fitting are Her lectures 5 As a scholar of Indian Indian of ascholar As -John Friedmann -John -Clark Kerr-Clark 1 2

albader to this tension between her position logic – the Foucault of the prisons book is as critic of the forms of knowledge the obvious example – the more powerless produced in the Western academy and the reader comes to feel.”6 Ironically, the her privileged position as a producer scholar’s power feeds off the recipient’s within it. powerlessness in a paradoxical conflict of When Roy exclaims that her goal as a interest; the very opponent that the theorist scholar is to effect a “divestment from disarms is not structural hegemony but the whiteness,” she essentially condemns reader’s mental capacity to (re)act. Jameson the ‘classic’ liberal notions that emerge elaborates the mechanism through which from said ‘whiteness.’ While it may not such a reversal takes place: be difficult for us to accept her critique Insofar as the theorist wins, therefore, by of ‘personhood’ and ‘property,’ more constructing an increasingly closed and challenging is its implied critique of terrifying machine, to that very degree academic criticality, of “white Marxism.” he loses, since the critical capacity of The tradition of the ethnically European his work is thereby paralysed, and the intellectual paying perfunctory impulses of negation and revolt, not to scholarly homage to socio-economic speak of those of social transformation, justice is no longer acceptable. It is are increasingly perceived as vain and about time that scholars put their trivial in the face of the model itself.7 money where their pens are. Jameson’s critique builds on the charitable But what does this mean other than premise that scholarship is, for the most provincializing Europe? For one, it part, earnestly serious, but accounts not for entails questioning what counts as the possibility that it may be self-serious, academic expertise, and perhaps or even sanctimonious so as to dispel the even an emergence from under the myths of its irrelevance, of its superfluity. thick but comfortable blanket of Does knowledge production itself not scholarly dogma. Critical theory, at constitute an indulgent (self-)distraction, an the mere level of theory, perpetuates intellectual alibi from worldly engagement, a “culture industry” as the Frankfurt School would say?8 More importantly, Roy asserts that academia’s established forms of criticism The very opponent that the are complicit in racial capitalism – that theorist disarms is not structural is, the production of spatial inequality under liberal democracy. The inadequacy hegemony but the reader’s mental of Marxist notions may be remedied, in capacity to (re)act.” her opinion, by embracing W. E. B. Du Bois’s work, which foregrounds urban racial banishment. Rendered in more contemporary terms, the reinterpretation the oppressiveness which it seeks of liberalism must take place through the to unmask because the unfortunate lens of “poor group activism.”9 This line of by-product of the theorist’s expertly reasoning is certainly not novel. At least as woven web is an inescapable sense early as Cedric Robinson’s Black Marxism of hopelessness; “What happens,” as revealed that the theory’s normative reading Frederic Jameson so forcefully put it, of history and exclusive re-writing of the “is that the more powerful the vision present was an ethnocentric call to action, of some increasingly total system or Marxism has been marked as a racialized

86 to read Andrew Abbott’s work on academic academic on work Abbott’s Andrew to read has only one new; dormant the reawaken philosophy. Intellecteros is missing is a Daenerys, an an a Daenerys, is missing is Intellecteros apart. falls them around world the while throne alectern over words with fighting Westeros, intellectual an of and Tyrells Lannisters, theare Starks, scholars analogy, Thrones of To aGame use of life. and tribulations trials to the relative trivial are truths profound over agonism and academic brooding endless city; virtuous no is academy The world. the for light of beacon no was kingdom hermit enlightened an that accept to came Wakanda mythical Even society. from withdrawal academic) (read: principled a as thing such no is there put, Bluntly speaks. Roy which of complicity political socio- the not if complacency, to accept is establishment the academic applaud merely to Scare, Red the of hysteria the to resist attempting for applauded be indeed may patriotism. Communist anti- embrace to readily hesitance its – namely,academia’s intransigence political castigated it purpose: unrelated not but adifferent for coined originally was term the insularity, elitist academia’s for metaphor a as today understood widely is it While meant. originally label lapidary this what to remember served well be would we tower, ivory the To reinterpret beginning. the only is thinking our retooling But Marxism. anon-professorial or Marxism, color’ of a‘person is Roy’s title, Robinson’s co-opt To to do. begun has Roy as comfortable, grown have we which with understandings self- the theoretical that reshape we requires it know we as academy the of limits the Reconsidering machine. motion perpetual adiscursive feeding to continue urge the to resist have we that means This of human knowledge. arabesque historical aworld- in ideas of set same the of flow and ebb fractal the production, knowledge of cyclicality the to recognize formation and disciplinary professionalization 10 Neither is Roy’s attempt to attempt Roy’s is Neither 12 While academia academia While 16 What our our What 13 , 14 , 15

11 87 is the last station in the two-decade-long two-decade-long the in station last the is world. a fractious amidst Jedi the of burden the falls shoulders their on to be, strive may academics Vulcan how matter No one. avicarious than less no is profane to the relationship academic The feudality. stark own its to acknowledge it behoove would it but Starks, the with identify perhaps and livelihoods. lives both saving by army an building fealty, winning slaves, unshackling differently: very but game same the playing insurgent “salve for the anxiety of approaching self- approaching of anxiety the for “salve a to articulate is roles theory’s of One cause. atautological of barrels the from humans of discharging the underwrites class of reification whose Marxism, afflicts similarly vanity of form aggregate This life. of purpose larger-than-life modernity’s is nation the of glory the for nationalism, with is only coupled legitimate when compassion human paradigm, this Within bodies. of trampling and lives of sacrifice the is then model nation-state to the Inherent cause. inaccessible, as just but secular, a towards redirected was self-sacrifice valiant and worthy whose citizen of position subject- the human restless the granting collectivity, of realm modern sole the became politics atheism, abstract collective being Faith and Monarchy of inverse The possible. war total making tribe geopolitical a novel nation-state the became new denomination, and the ecumenicism replaced patriotism of paternalism. water the with out thrown been have must pastoralism of baby the argues, Anderson Benedict as king, and to god alternative aliberalist indeed was nation-state the of rise the If existential. the from untangled be longer no can political The politics. of unforsakeability the on premised are contentions Her affairs. worldly above not is truth of pursuit the that recognizes Roy bearers. standard national of minting 23 , 24 , 25 , 26

22 17 In the new world order, world new the In The scholarly class may may class scholarly The 18 Fallibly privileged, theirs theirs privileged, Fallibly 19 , 20 , 21

albader Figure 1. “Is the lectern throne an academic’s perennial precious?” (Illustration by author). dissolution.”27 These articulations take royalists, how worthless are the lives of different forms, like the nation and the today’s extra-nationals! Theorists shield party, which become worth dying for. themselves from such externalities, Roy is rightly critical of the scholars ignoring the inconvenient truth that justice is who pull that trigger but would never rarely bloodless. put themselves in the barrel. They The truth is that theory can be deadly, and are a ‘class consciousness’ – a party the rule of law can be deadly. Just as they – just intelligent enough not to paint serve to assert the value of human life, themselves as such, for to claim the they allow us to assign value to the denial paternalistic designation of organized of life.29, 30 Academic calls to arms are not governing collective is to dissolve the always metaphorical.31, 32, 33 Even when they veneer of benign wisdom. are, theoretical enactments are liable to This makes sense in light of Roy’s take on necropolitical lives of their own.34 assertion that “the most important Though we are not remotely likely to stop terrain of politics is the university.”28 If the humanities tell us what it means to be human, then they necessarily also demarcate that which is subhuman. How bloody were the American and Bluntly put, there is no French Revolutions that scholars such thing as a principled (read: so admire, and how bloody were the Haitian and Russian Revolutions they academic) withdrawal from care not to admire! How worthless society.” were the past lives and bodies of the

88 at the very least wrestle with the real real the with wrestle least very the at should we tomorrow, adifferent of images and technologies, theories, producing “not to bring peace, but asword.” but peace, “not to bring come saviors to admit, hate we as much As sacrificed. being of worthy is which that to redefine looms opportunity an sacrifice, ultimate scholar’s) (citizen’s and the of worthy is what to articulate is it as challenging former. the through runs often latter to the route the that reality unfortunate the with –and utopia” of walls impossible the to scale try they as death, ignoble to their warriors society good of waves send will “our words that possibility Bader AlBader is a doctoral candidate in architecture at the University of Michigan. His research research His Michigan. of University the at architecture in candidate adoctoral is AlBader Bader examines the spaces and institutions of higher education and the ways in which they contribute contribute they which in ways the and education higher of institutions and spaces the examines to the development of cities and states, particularly in the Arab World. He holds a Bachelor of of aBachelor holds He World. Arab the in particularly states, and cities of development to the Architecture from Pratt Institute and a Master of Arts in Architecture from Rice University. Rice from Architecture in Arts of aMaster and Institute Pratt from Architecture 35 Exceedingly Exceedingly 36 In a way, away, In 89 head. the in oneself to shoot is dream elaborate an of out way only the metaphor, Inception an To use itself. against scholarship turns and self-righteousness its acknowledges that one is scholarship her hand, her in dagger a putting than mouth her in words putting lamb. asacrificial as soars she which of shoulders the on dragon the to recast order in it commandeers but to kill’ ‘license academic her accept simply not does She acumination. to its right aconcurrent comes which with along sword one claims Roy about theauthor 37 Less Less

albader endnotes

1. Clark Kerr, The Uses of the University, 5th edition Supremacy,” On Being, July 21, 2016, https://onbeing. (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001), viii. org/blog/omid-safi-the-white-walkers-of-white- supremacy/. 2. John Friedmann, “The Good City: In Defense of Utopian Thinking,” International Journal of Urban 17. See Zeynep Tufekci, “The Real Reason Fans Hate and Regional Research 24.2 (June 2000): 461-62. the Last Season of Game of Thrones,” Scientific American Blog, May 17, 2019, https://blogs.scientificamerican. 3. Shapiro’s 1980 speech is quoted in Jacqueline com/observations/the-real-reason-fans-hate-the-last- Mullen and Jackson Voss, “Servants and Critics,” season-of-game-of-thrones/. State & Hill (Fall 2017): 6. This conceptualization of the university underpinned Shapiro’s career as 18. For more on fallibility, see Sara Martín, “Obi- a higher educational leader; see Eric Quiñones, Wan Kenobi and the Problem of the Flawed Mentor,” “Universities fill dual role as servant and critic,” Foundation 48 no. 132 (2019). Princeton Weekly Bulletin 95, no. 15 (February 13, 2006). 19. For relatively recent examples of how higher education has been positioned at the service of citizen 4. One of these lectures took place at the formation, that is, the production of the national subject, University of Michigan on November 17, 2017. For see Patricia King, Marie Kendall Brown, Nathan more on her present calling, see Ananya Roy, “The Lindsay, and Jones Vanhecke, “Liberal Arts Student Infrastructure of Assent: Professions in the Age of Learning Outcomes: An Integrated Approach,” About Trumpism,” Avery Review 21 (2017). Campus 12 no. 4 (2007). 5. Arif Dirlik, “The Postcolonial Aura: Third World 20. Also see Gert Biesta, “What Kind of Citizenship for Criticism in the Age of Global Capitalism,” Critical European Higher Education? Beyond the Competent Inquiry 20 (Winter 1994): 339. Active Citizen,” European Educational Research Journal 8, no. 2 (2009). 6. Frederic Jameson, “Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism,” New Left Review 21. For globalization-borne challenges to this 146 (1984): 57. relationship, see Miriam Faine, Sue Plowright, and Terri Seddon, “Higher Education and Social Cohesion: 7. Jameson, “Postmodernism,” 57. Universities, Citizenship, and Spaces of Orientation,” 8. See Theodor W. Adorno and J. M. Bernstein, The in Creating Social Cohesion in an Interdependent World: Culture Industry: Selected Essays on Mass Culture Experiences of Australia and Japan, eds. Ernest Healy, (London: Routledge, 2001). Dharma Arunachalam, and Tetsuo Mizukami (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016). 9. Ananya Roy, “The City in the Age of Trumpism: From Sanctuary to Abolition,” lecture at Taubman 22. See Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism University of Michigan, November 17, 2017. (London: Verso, 2006). 10. See Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism: The 23. Citizenship can be read and critiqued as nationally Making of the Black Radical Tradition (London: Zed bounded solidarity. See Veit Bader, “Citizenship and Press, 1983). Exclusion: Radical Democracy, Community, and Justice. Or, What Is Wrong with Communitarianism?” Political 11. For example, see Andrew Abbott, “The Theory 23 no. 2 (1995). Disciplines and the Future” in The Future of the City of Intellect: The Changing American University, ed. 24. Also see Arthur Helton, Lou Henkin, Oscar Steven Brint (Stanford: Stanford University Press, Schachter, and Anne Bayefsky, “Protecting the World’s 2002). Exiles: The Human Rights of Non-Citizens,” Human Rights Quarterly 22 (2000). 12. See LaDale C. Winling, Building the Ivory Tower: Universities and Metropolitan Development in the 25. And see Stephanie DeGooyer and Alastair Hunt, “The Twentieth Century (Philadelphia: University of Right to Have Rights,” Public Books, May 3, 2018, www. Pennsylvania Press, 2017). publicbooks.org/the-right-to-have-rights/. 13. See Carli Coetzee, “Between the World and 26. For more on the underbellies of citizenship and Wakanda,” Safundi 20, no. 1 (2019). nationality, see Veit Bader, ed., Citizenship and Exclusion (London: Macmillan, 1997). 14. See Karl Baumann, “Why Utopia,” Infrastructures of the Imagination: Building New 27. Barbara Ehrenreich, Natural Causes: Life, Death and Worlds in Media, Art, and Design. (PhD diss., the Illusion of Control (London: Granta, 2018), 191. University of Southern California, 2018): 313-16. 28. Roy, “The City in the Age of Trumpism.” 15. For more on utopianism as a productive 29. See Faith Taylor, “Reproduction at the End of interlocutor with design, see Fiona Kenney and Humanity: Refusing Apocalypse and Dismantling the Vaissnavi Shukl, “Black Panther’s Utopian Project: Threat of the New,” Public Seminar, August 28, 2019, The Innovative Potential of Fiction and Speculation https://publicseminar.org/essays/reproduction-at-the- by Non-Architects,” Dearq 26 (2020). end-of-humanity/. 16. See Omid Safi, “The White Walkers of White 30. See China Miéville, “The Limits of Utopia,” Salvage 1

90 (July 2015). in a Changing World,” World,” aChanging in “Taking Strohmeier, Action Ferrario, and Angela Maria Frauenberger, Chris Light, Ann Paul Jennifer Preece, see rogue,’ ‘going at attempt inchoate an and complicity with terms to coming academic an of example an 37. For Translation). Living (New 10:34 Matt, 36. 462. City,” Good “The Friedmann, 35. Philosophy Conflict,” in the Israeli–Palestinian Architects as Soldiers Walls: through “Walking Weizman, Eyal see in making and war occupation, conceptual practices and theories scholarly of use the of example an For 34. Bulletin Territories,” in of Occupation Institutions Academic Palestinian Israeli of Complicity the and Israel of Boycott “Academic Keller, Yacob Uri see example, acontemporary For 33. 3(2013). no. Geographers American of Association the of Annals and Walter of Schmitt Christaller,” Carl Geographies Dark The Theory: Spatial “Nazi Minca, Claudio and Barnes Trevor see example, ahistorical For 32. Journal Community,” Scholarly and the Violence 31. “Extreme Omer See Bartov, 54, no. 174 no. (2002). 54, 23 (2009). 136 (2006). 136 Economy of the Occupation: Socioeconomic Interactions Interactions International Social Science 25, no. 1(2017). no. 25, Radical Radical 103, 103, 91

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