The Capitalist University The Transformations of Higher Education in the United States since 1945

Abstract

This article analyzes Henry Heller's critical examination of American higher education from the post-WWII era to the present. The paper explores how major disciplines within the humanities and social sciences served as ideological tools that supported the liberal and capitalist pillars of the American state during periods of global ascendancy. Using a Marxist methodology, the author contends that universities have become private, profit-making corporations that serve market interests rather than the public good. The study examines five distinct historical periods, detailing the evolution of universities from corporate entities influenced by military funding to institutions shaped by Cold War politics and McCarthyism. The article demonstrates how postmodernism and the cultural turn further depoliticized academic discourse, culminating in the neoliberal university model that prioritizes business practices over public service. This work investigates the potential to revitalize universities' founding missions by reviving Marxist politics and historical awareness.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)