Rebel Oxford Philosopher Declares War on Universities | Michael Gibson

How Universities Hurt Innovation

Michael Gibson studied philosophy at NYU, UChicago, and Oxford. Now, he’s waging war against elite universities.

Michael was part of the founding team of the Thiel Fellowship, which funded talented youngsters to drop out. He considers universities to be part of what he calls “the Paper Belt,” a series of centralized bureaucracies whose power relies on printing paper: money by the government, laws passed in DC, newspapers printed in New York, and diplomas given by universities.

As an anarchist, Michael believes today’s Paper Belt is just as corrupt as the Catholic Church was when it sold indulgences.

As a venture capitalist, Michael sees universities as a source of stagnation and offers an alternative plan for how to engender innovation instead.

Topics We Cover:

2:11 The Dark Truth About Universities

12:22 Why Dropouts Have Been So Successful

23:57 Universities Have Stopped Producing Geniuses

36:24 We Destroy the Desire to Be Extraordinary

50:46 No Degree is Required to Be a Great Thinker

52:49 The Tragedy of Self-Doubt

1:00:05 The Poet-Philosopher

1:10:25 How to Be a Conservative Anarchist