English and Politics

Eagleton's history of the rise of English intrigued me. Certainly, it does away with any grand notions as to why English departments came about, but really, isn't education always already political and ideological? It makes more sense to me to think of the rise of English departments and the humanities in general from viewpoint of how power is served, what ideologies are served or promoted through the educational changes. Education in what is now termed the humanities has been about creating and fostering national culture and identity going back to ancient Greece (though then it was likely as much about fostering an identity as an Athenian or Spartan as it was a Greek identity). Socrates was executed for corrupting the youth, why, because he tought things that didn't contribute to the reigning Athenian self-identity. At least now we just get fired, or can't get hired, if we teach in a way that questions power too much.