"I thought it was freedom
But in truth, it was the bars of a prison
Of a prison" Engenheiros do Hawai, Brazilian rock band
In this post, I want to delve into a curious example of what I can only describe as a form of servitude within academia. To illustrate this, I will draw a comparison with Christianity. Christianity is based on a set of beliefs, anchored in the sacred text known as the Bible. However, as the Bible contains many ideas that are no longer relevant—such as selling one's daughter into slavery or denying women their rights—it requires adaptation to fit the modern world. This need for adjustment has led to the emergence of numerous Christian denominations, each interpreting the Bible in its own way.
Academia, in many respects, mirrors this process. Take, for instance, the idea of freedom. Throughout my academic journey, I believed that with each new level—graduation, a master's degree, a PhD—I would finally attain freedom. Yet, with each step, I found that freedom was further out of reach. By the time I reached my postdoc, I was treated no better, if not worse, than I had been during my undergraduate years. This leads to an obvious conclusion: the academic world is built on beliefs, much like religious dogma. One of these beliefs is that climbing the academic ladder will grant you more freedom.
Perhaps there are exceptions—individuals who achieve this elusive freedom within academia. But much like Christianity, which turns exceptions into the rule, academia does the same. Christians insist that religion makes people better, ignoring the negative cases of abuse by pastors or priests to defend the few who truly embody moral virtue. Similarly, in academia, criticism of the peer review system is often met with attacks that resemble religious fervor. I’ve published books and articles, and the backlash I received was strikingly similar to that faced by religious dissenters.
There is no concrete evidence that the peer review system works as intended. In fact, it often fails to catch fraudulent papers. For instance, recent examples show that articles generated by AI were published in major journals without being detected. This suggests that academia, much like religion, is driven by deeply held beliefs that are rarely questioned.
The idea of freedom in academia is a farce. I chased this illusion throughout my academic life, only to give up on it during my postdoc. The truth is, by the time one reaches a position of true freedom—perhaps as a tenured professor—they are often too old to enjoy it. This parallels the current retirement system, where one works their entire life only to find their health deteriorated by the time they retire. In academia, you spend your life fighting for the freedom to speak, only to find that when you finally have it, you're too worn out to use it effectively.
Many great discoveries were made by young minds, yet the academic system makes you wait until you’re old to have the freedom to speak. This is an illusion, much like the religious belief that happiness will come in the afterlife. The academic mantra of "publish or perish" has now evolved into "publish and perish," reflecting a cruel reality where even if you follow all the rules, there is no guarantee of success.
In my view, freedom in academia does not exist. It’s an illusion, one that I pursued throughout my academic career, only to abandon it after my postdoc.
The trap
I cannot talk in the behaft of every single scholar, but for me, those are the bizarre founds out will found most likely in the hard way.
The contracts tend to be advisor-centered, putting you in bad situations. Usually, they can terminate the scholarship any time, just like that. Should you complain, at the best scenario, someone will hear you, no actions against the professor. If you manage to find a good advisor, very rare, you are a lucky man/woman. Otherwise, go fuck yourself;
In most of the positions, you are just a tool, and should thank for that, similar to a Christian thanking his God for flooding the earth, and killing everyone. God did that, but He loves you. It reminders me when scientists are working for evil people on cartoons: they have to thank for being bitten and abused. "It is an honor serving you sir..."
You may find scholarships for just three months. None, this is not scientific initiation, this is a postdoc scholarship/fellowship, and senior research, a researcher holding a PhD being treated like a child where you give money monthly just in case.
The worst part is that you have no other option aftermath. It is a dead-end career. The more you study, the smaller the chances of going to the market, also, the lesser scholarships you will find. The system was designed for a small number of people to succeed, and they are very proud of that. They think that scientists cannot be genius together, they must kill each other like cavemen, fighting for food. It seems an arcaic. and badly designed system for primitive selection, like in the juggle.
Even the scholarships with long durations, they are full of hidden letters which we are so desperate that we rarely or never consider. Once you get a scholarship, you sign anything they want;
It varies from country to country, but getting a PhD is getting a certificate: do not hire me. The joke’s on you, the Brazilian PhD unemployed rate is 25%, the double of the population
One thing that may bother in Brazil is hearing constantly from people: you wasted your time. I have no study, and I have a house, money, and you have nothing. As soon as you say you have a degree, they will find ways to compare, and they will use financial success to put you down.
Getting a PhD
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