The essay argues the malaise provoked by the knowledge-merchandise fetishism and its mermaid enchantment - scientific productivity. In an attempt to explain the malaise that impacts the academy, we appeal to Freud to think about the anguish that imprison ourselves, and to Marx to reveal the roots of this malaise and its possible overcoming. The text points out the limits of this process and its personal, institutional and scientific consequences, dialoguing with part of literature on the subject.
scientific productivity; knowledge commodification; civilization’s malaise