Dave, Bryan, and Ann teach Karl Jaspers’ The Idea of the University. This primary work is short, relatively accessible, and absolutely essential. This positive critique of the university as an institution introduces students to some of the deepest questions and problems of our times: The nature of truth, science, and plurality. What is the nature of freedom? What is the life worth living?
Bryan, Dave, and Ann each have unique experience in this line of questioning and critique: Bryan has a Masters in education, Dave has a Masters in critical theory, and Ann has a Bachelor’s in social science, with an emphasis in critique of the neoliberalization of the university. All three have taught within educational institutions and have their own reasons for believing that this text is foundational to everything to come.
Be advised: When you register with this website, and when you purchase the tickets, the verification email, as well as the email with the link, WILL go to your spam folder. Such is the cost of doing shit underground.
This course involves five lecture sessions, which include some pre-recorded discussions from the original launch of the course, as well as discussion assignments on the most important aspect: The forum, where you join those who have been or will be reading this text, watching these lectures, and seriously thinking about some of the most important problems of our times.
Instructor Bios:
David McKerracher (M.A.)
David McKerracher (M.A.) is the organizer for, and founder of, Theory Underground, a course-based social media site and app by and for people who don’t belong anywhere: drop outs, blue collar intellectuals, and renegade PMCs. McKerracher’s background is in critical theory, political philosophy, existentialism and phenomenology. All of McKerracher’s work revolves around a single question: What is the Good Life? His questioning into the conditions of possibility for living the Good Life led McKerracher to an M.A. thesis on “Timenergy, the existential basis of labor power.” This work draws heavily from Marx and Heidegger. McKerracher develops this concept further in his first book called Waypoint: Timenergy, Critical Media Theory, and Social Change, and Timenergy (coming out Fall 2023). Because “Timenergy Theory” requires a more robust theory of libidinal economy and ideology, McKerracher has spent the last few years learning Žižekian and Lacanian theory from his compatriot Michael Downs. Theory Underground is McKerracher’s vehicle for cultivating the kind of research and conversation necessary to take this project to the next level, the long-term goal of which is to overcome the current culture war deadlocks by inquiry into their conditions of possibility. The goal of this work is to pave a way forward for humanity to maintain the conditions of a robust cultural plurality, harness automation-for-all, and ultimately, explore the universe, but without creating indefinite civil war with those who try to “stay natural” and remain on Earth.
Bryan Weeks (M.A.)
Bryan Weeks earned a B.A. in English & Creative Writing from the University of Washington in 2013 and M.A. in Education from Boise State University in 2022 where his research focused on the intersection of critical discourses in the Philosophy of education, particularly deschooling and democratization in public education. He teaches English at an alternative high school and leads reading and writing groups in philosophy, literature, and poetry for adults in Boise, ID where he lives with his wife and son.
Ann Snelgrove
Ann Snelgrove’s background is in social science research. Snelgrove graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science from Boise State University where she was part of a research cohort that studied the neoliberalization of higher education. She also helped develop and teach a course on the related topic, “Is College Worth It?” The question that has driven all of Ann’s research, as well as her past political activity, has always been, “What is the Good Life?” At Theory Underground, she has helped develop and teach two courses: The Idea of the University, and Digital Literacy and CMT (Critical Media Theory). When not doing theory related research, Ann can be found traveling the world with Dave, learning languages, reading novels, baking, hiking, or participating in local theater.
This course comes with four tiers of access:
Tier 1: Access to the course modules, lectures, syllabus, and discussion forum.
Tier 2: Everything from Tier 1 + Access to special guest lectures and longer-term access to the site (long-term buy in to the course forum and lectures).
Tier 3: Everything from Tiers 1 & 2 + Direct constructive critical feedback from Dave (via voice messages and/or marked up reviews of your assignments).
Tier 4: Everything from Tiers 1-3 + (1) Access to any of the live and recorded exegetical reading sessions of this text that Dave will do + (2) Two 1-on-1 Zoom calls with Dave. The first is to be scheduled while the course is ongoing, and the second is to be conducted after the course is over, for a constructive criticism session dealing with your final project.
