해방은 마르크스주의자로서의 신남철의 정체성을 더욱 구체화한 계기였다. 해방 이후 신남철은 서울대 교수로 재직하며 대학 내부에서 ‘국립서울대안’ 반대 투쟁을 수행하였다. ‘국립서울대안’이 포고된 이후 신남철은 이 설립안의 비현실성, 강압적 추진, 교수회 및 학생의 자치권을 인정하지 않는 비민주성 등을 이유로 ‘국대안’을 반대하면서 교육 부문을 탈식민적 민족교육으로 재구성할 것을 주장한다. ‘국대안’ 반대 운동과 더불어 식민지 시기 중앙 아카데미 구상을 계승한 ‘조선학술원’ 설립운동을 주도하지만 건국을 둘러싼 제정파의 갈등과 분열에 의해 무산되면서 월북하게 된다. 월북 이후 신남철은 김일성종합대학 교수 등을 역임하며 북한 아카데미즘의 중추로 활동하였지만, 현재 저술은 많이 남아 있지 않다. 1950년대에 남긴 신남철의 글을 통해서 미국 헤게모니하에 재편되고 있는 남한의 사상계와 대중문화 등을 ‘미제국주의’에 의한 말초적 문화의 확산으로 비판하는 사회주의자의 인식을 엿볼 수 있다.Nam-cheol Shin, one of 3rd alumni from the Department of Law and Literature, Keijo Imperial University (京城帝國大學; a former branch of Seoul National University), has been known as a personal symbol that demonstrates development of modern Korean ‘knowledge system.’ After graduating from Department of Philosophy as well in same university, he engaged in academic activities and journalism in colonial days of modern Korea under the rule of Imperial Japan with the help of his social careers including collegiate assistant (Keijo Imperial Univ) and journalist (Dong-A Ilbo Daily). Just after the National Liberation of Korea in 1945, he stood against ‘a Proposal for the Nationalized Administration of Seoul University’ when he held a professorial post in Seoul University as successor of Keijo Imperial University. Then, he went to North Korea and held a professorial post in Kim Il-sung University. His social careers are viewed as an epitome for continuity / discontinuity of modern Korean knowledge system ranging from colonial period via liberation period toward national division period. Both Keijo Imperial University (educational system) and Marxism (Western philosophy) are major keywords to define the original identity of Shin. Modern Korean elites who graduated from Keijo Imperial University pursued independence of national knowledge through ‘such academic efforts in Korean language’ as marginalized by academic Japanese language, but created their antimonic identity with a tendency to differentiate their academic achievements from Korean private collegiate ones, on the basis of imperial academic system symbolized by ‘Keijo Imperial University.’ A reflection of their antimonic identity is exemplified by “Shinheung (新興),” an academic coterie magazine for graduate intellects from Keijo Imperial University, where Shin engaged in editing works. Moreover, he engaged as a member of ‘Korean Philosophy Society’ (1932), a coterie society of Keijo Imperial University alumni and modern Korean philosophical elites who completed overseas academic courses in Japan and Western countries. Shin's engagement in the establishment of Central Academy initiated by Nam-un Baek reveals a sort of colonial academism pursued by colonial elites outside the wall of campus because of their access denied to any collegial system under the rule of imperial Japan. In a response to ‘Korean studies movements’ emerging around 1934, Shin advocated ‘scientific Korean studies’ which correspond to his own identity based on Keijo Imperial University and Marxism. The methodology and content of ‘scientific Korean studies’ advocated by Shin sums up independence of ‘knowledge’ to produce knowledge about Korea through academic literatures in Korean language; scientific approaches based on academism; and Marxism.
The National Liberation of Korea in 1945 became a good chance for Shin to further develop his own identity as Marxist. After the Liberation, Shin held a professorial post in Seoul University and initiated an intramural campaign against ‘a Proposal for the Nationalized Administration of Seoul University.’ After the proclamation of said Proposal, Shin opposed it because of its infeasibility, coercive promotion and authorities' undemocratic decision without respect of autonomy vested in faculty and students. And he claimed for restructuring his contemporary Korean education sector toward post-colonial national education system. In parallel with ‘anti-nationalization’ campaign, he led another campaign for the establishment of ‘Korean Academy Society’ in succession to a former plan for Central Academy during the era of colonized Korea. But Shin decided to go to North Korea due to failure of those campaigns under the influence of conflicts and disunion in Constitutional faction before the founding of modern Korean government. Then, Shin kept holding a professorial post in Kim Il-sung University and played as a pivotal role in the modern academism of North Korea, but there are relatively few writings authored by him. Nevertheless, his writings published in 1950's reveal a sense of North Korean socialist criticisms against South Korea's thinking world and popular culture reshuffled under the control of American hegemony - as a part of propagating trifling modern culture under the influence of ‘American imperialism.’