The publish or perish aphorism declares publishing a condition for survival in academe. It resonates with the imperatives of neoliberalism that privilege individual success, entrepreneurship, prestige, promotion (self- and institutional) and monetary gain. In this article, I contribute to the vast debates about this aphorism by arguing that its portrayal of publishing as exclusionary for survival of academics has ethical and social justice implications. First, it suggests that research processes are unethical because research participants are not informed of the exclusionary nature of publications. Second, the supposed contribution of research and publication for societal good is marginalised as academics try to find shortcuts to publish for their professional survival. Third, as an approach with a neoliberal feel, the publish or perish dictum elides social justice issues and undermines academic identities, and the dignity of the communities from which data are extracted are at jeopardy. I refer to multidisciplinary literature to outline the violence and exclusions that this aphorism produces. Ultimately, I propose that while publishing is an academic imperative, it can be transformational, ethical, democratic and accommodative of all those that it impacts.