The Evolution of the Public Intellectual

For me, the notion of a public intellectual initially seemed like an oxymoron. The two are polar opposites, ignorant versus pretentious. The public, for the most part, purchases tabloids and watches superhero films, while intellectuals gather at MENSA meetings to discuss matters in private. Then again, this judgment is most likely a product of my Generation Y cynicism. It is just difficult to look at our current President and feel as though this is a nation that values (and votes for) intelligence.

The concept is certainly more realistic then my immediate reaction. The problem, however, is in the definition. For instance, who decides who gets to sit at this grown-up-table of knowledge and preach to us less informed? Should it be treated in the same manner as the title of Poet Laureate, in which the discretion is left to The Library of Congress. Surely these individuals are qualified to weigh the intelligence and influence of our nation’s brightest. Or should this democratic country leave the decision to the electorate: American Intellectual Idol? Both suggestions seem plausible but just because an opinion is deemed popular does not necessarily mean it is intellectual. Furthermore, we look to our public intellectuals as watchdogs of government and count on them to pose critical and often controversial views. Therefore, we would not want to encourage public intellectuals to stress mainstream opinions in order to seek popularity.

In addition, what are the qualifications for this esteemed title: a PhD, journalistic experience, a public office position, all of the above? Certainly not every college graduate with a web-blog can have the title of public intellectual on his or her business card. Historically, the term public intellectual lacked such ambiguity and was easier to define. For the most part, few individuals had the capabilities to publish their opinions for a larger audience. Thus, the intellectual pool was much smaller. However, we now live in the age of information, and this tidal wave of knowledge has had a drastic affect on the notion of the public intellectual.

Ultimately, there is simply no standard for publication anymore, as access to Internet remains the only requirement. With this, the once small pool of intellectual thought has grown into an ocean of opinions, as people must now sift through mass amounts of information in search of credibility. In Richard Posner Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline he uses the argument that such advances in media and communication have lead to a downfall in intellectual work. Posner’s main flaw is his misguided methodology in what he considers “media attention.” He relied on three Lexis/Nexis databases to compile a list of 571 public intellectuals, yet it seems he forgot to check the list over as he leaves out countless influential thinkers such as Christopher Hitchens. In general, I tend to agree more with Posner’s critics, including Carol Polsgrove, who in The American Prospect notes: "The 'Decline' in the subtitle is in fact hypothetical -- pure tease. Posner makes no attempt to trace a decline; this book is not a history."

Posner took the wrong approach in his analysis of the modern public intellectual. Such access to information should attribute to the advancement of the public intellectual, not the decline. Data and statistics are now readily available to members of every societal class and not solely the elite. Granted, false information is posted daily, but one should always remain critical of his or her source of information. In addition, we now have countless opinions and viewpoints to consider and comment on. And if anything, this saturation of news outlets, web sites, and blogs will encourage competition in which the best and brightest will prevail. The public intellectual now has the necessary tools with the ability to transfer his or her knowledge and create a more informed electorate.

With the Internet’s ability to update information by the second, ignorance can no longer be tolerated. Thus, the role of the public intellectual becomes even more important. Ralph Waldo Emerson stated it most eloquently in his essay the American Scholar:

“The office of the scholar is to cheer, to raise, and to guide men by showing them facts amidst appearances. He is one, who raises himself from private considerations, and breathes and lives on public and illustrious thoughts. He is the world's eye. He is the world's heart. He is to resist the vulgar prosperity that retrogrades ever to barbarism, by preserving and communicating heroic sentiments, noble biographies, melodious verse, and the conclusions of history.”

In his essay “The Decline of Public Intellectuals,” professor Stephen Mack suggests that the concept of public intellectual “begins with a shift from categories and class to function.” This is an important distinction because it allows us focus more on the work of the individual in comparison to his or her title and background. In addition, we are able to hold the public intellectual to a higher standard. They must not only be an expert in their academic field, but a voice for their community, activist, teacher, public policy advisor, etc. We demand a lot from our intellectuals, but at a time when such an admirable title is so undefined, they should expect such standards.

It is clear that there has been an expansion of public intellectualism, but unlike Posner believes, it is not for the negative. Rather the changes are linked to the cultural achievements of the 20th century. As our post-modern society has added new academic concerns, such as environmentalism, our progress has also allowed for the inclusion of intellectual individuals that 50 years ago would have been unable to gain public attention. I am speaking specifically about the African American public intellectual.

It was only 54 years ago that the United States Supreme Court ended school segregation in the Brown v Board of Education ruling. In the decades to follow, African American culture began to advance with the Voting Rights Act of 1964 and as more members of their community entered higher educational institutions. As a result, more studies were conducted in African American history and culture, and notions of race and race relations began to enter the world of academia. Subsequently, the public intellectual club has evolved and gained new darker members, amongst them, the Notorious Ph.D., Dr. Todd Boyd.