Biopolitical labor and the theory of "The Common" are explained in Hardt and Negri’s "Metamorphoses of the Composition of Capital". Hardt and Negri discuss the "Common", which can be described as common knowledge that leads to common wealth (knowledge that is not owned by a person or corporation). One of the key issues that is talked about in this article is the idea of "…draining the common bases of production and the latter privatizing the common results". To put this idea into other words, common knowledge is being privatized and sold at a price. This now has turned knowledge that every person has the right to know into a profiteering venture. Hardt and Negri assert that "biopolitical labor is reduced ever time the common is destroyed". Although the value of information is quite subjective, the questions that remain are; is it necessary to change publicly viewed information into a capitalistic profiteering venture, which only a few could view? Who places said value on this information? Who is allowed to make the decision as to which information is common and which information will be privatized?
An article written by Mary Beth Marklein in USA Today, “Ruling on Online Term Papers Cites Copyright Questions” demonstrates how public information can be made private and for-profit. In this article, Marklein illustrates the ability to purchase essay papers, term papers, even answers to complicated questions via the internet. This has all come from teachers who have sold off the homework, term paper or essay question that another student worked diligently to create. Students can then search online for a paper and purchase to turn in as his/her own work. There is a lawsuit in place to stop this behavior and the students whose papers were found online for sale could be entitled to compensation.
This, to me, is an outrage. I believe that work should be done by the person it is assigned to. Plagiarism is not something that should be taken lightly. In this instance, as in many, students do not feel that they need to complete the work and take the easy way out. This breeds a society of lazy people who learn that if you do not want to put forth the effort, someone else can do it for you and you can buy it. In relation to Marklein’s article to Hardt and Negri’s article, I do not believe that all knowledge should be public in this instance. The knowledge is present and available in society, in the form of research and due diligence, the same way the student who wrote the article found the information. In my opinion, no rational person would agree to allow the sale of this type of information nor would a person allow this information to be free to all. However, who has the right to choose what information to privatize and what information to remain public?
Links Available
Critical Review of Hardt and Negri Article
Mary Beth Marklein Article
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Tifani- You pose an interesting question about “Who decides the value of the written word?" I believe with you in that it all goes back to the debate we have been having class all semester about the elite population dictating what is valuable to gain a profit. However the most interesting sentence in your paper is about teachers and how the teachers are the ones “who have sold off the homework, term paper or essay question that another student worked diligently to create.” At first when I was reading this I was appalled that an educator would do this, but then I thought about it from a teacher’s perspective. They are the ones every day whom are teaching with lack of funding, parents that are too involved, parents that are not involved, school board politics ect. Meanwhile you have government and corporation dictating the rules and regulation and profiting from your hard work. Why shouldn’t an educator deserve a piece of the pie? As I mentioned in previous posts I do not believe the answer to the educational problem is to do away with capitalism. why can’t we adopt the mantra that “if you can’t beat it join it?” I believe if teacher where given part ownership in their schools by having a voice that is heard as well as receiving monetary compensation for their efforts, schools might flourish. I understand the negative against this argument is that it is once again creating a competitive atmosphere against schools. But think back to your life. Aren’t the things that you work hardest toward and put in the most effort towards are the things that you own, have control over or are being rewarded on?
-Kelli Kenealy
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