This interlude presents the issue of the reciprocal relationship between the moments ‘In’ and ‘Against’, which the critique oscillates between. In the first step, it distinguishes our approach from the traditional economic determinism with which many still associate Marxian historical materialism. The objective of the critique is not to establish fixed laws governing the development of capital. This is insufficient. The critique must also track the evolution of the conflicts occurring within the higher education sector and adapt its programme to align with the practical insights and demands that emerge in the process. Otherwise, it will irretrievably lose its standing. By mapping the contradictions that have emerged throughout capitalist development, critique can serve the counter-subjectivities fighting against the capitalist subsumption of the university.