In this timely book, the first comprehensive study of the modern
American public intellectual--that individual who speaks to the public
on issues of political or ideological moment--Richard Posner charts
the decline of a venerable institution that included worthies from
Socrates to John Dewey. With the rapid growth of the media in recent
years, highly visible forums for discussion have multiplied, while
greater academic specialization has yielded a growing number of
narrowly trained scholars. Posner tracks these two trends to their
inevitable intersection: a proliferation of modern academics
commenting on topics outside their ken. The resulting scene--one of
off-the-cuff pronouncements, erroneous predictions, and ignorant
policy proposals--compares poorly with the performance of earlier
public intellectuals, largely nonacademics whose erudition and breadth
of knowledge were well suited to public discourse. Leveling a balanced
attack on liberal and conservative pundits alike, Posner describes the
styles and genres, constraints and incentives, of the activity of
public intellectuals. He identifies a market for this activity--one
with recognizable patterns and conventions but an absence of quality
controls. And he offers modest proposals for improving the performance
of this market--and the quality of public discussion in America today.
This paperback edition contains a new preface and and a new epilogue.
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A Study of Decline, With a New Preface and Epilogue
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780674042278
Publisert
2021
Utgiver
Vendor
Harvard University Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter