Anti-intellectualism
Anti-intellectualism refers to a skepticism or disdain for intellectual thought and those who embody it, often manifesting as a belief that educated individuals and critical thinking are out of touch with everyday life. Historically, this sentiment has fluctuated rather than following a linear trend, with notable peaks during specific social and political climates, such as the early 1950s in the United States amidst McCarthyism. Intellectuals, often seen as scholars, artists, and educators, strive to analyze and address societal issues through research and critical inquiry. In contrast, anti-intellectuals may prioritize practical knowledge over critical thought, favoring common-sense approaches and often viewing education, particularly in the arts and humanities, with skepticism. In contemporary society, concerns about rising anti-intellectualism have emerged, with discussions around the declining pursuit of higher education, diminishing interest in the humanities, and a growing acceptance of misinformation. Critics argue that anti-intellectualism poses significant challenges to addressing complex global issues, as innovative thinking and informed discourse are essential for progress. Understanding this dynamic can provide insight into ongoing debates surrounding education, culture, and societal values.
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Anti-intellectualism
Anti-intellectualism is contempt for and distrust of intellectual thought and intellectual thinkers and a tendency to discount the value of both. Throughout history, anti-intellectualism has experienced peaks and valleys, rather than a steady incline or decline, in popularity. In the United States, anti-intellectualism was high during the early 1950s and began to decrease by the end of the decade. In the early twenty-first century, many believe that anti-intellectualism is again on the rise.
Background
One of the most well-known examinations of anti-intellectualism is author and historian Richard Hofstadter's Pulitzer Prize–winning book Anti-intellectualism in American Life (1963). In his work, Hofstadter defines anti-intellectualism as "a resentment and suspicion of the life of the mind and of those who are considered to represent it; and a disposition to constantly minimize the value of that life." The "life of the mind" to which Hofstadter refers is intellectual thought, or the ability to think critically about situations or problems and draw conclusions about or develop solutions for them. Intellectual thinkers, or intellectuals, are those who pursue the life of the mind—artists, teachers, scholars, writers, and so on. Intellectuals usually are highly educated and regularly engage in critical thinking. They conduct research and propose theories. They review others' work, consider its value, and raise questions about its accuracy or validity in the pursuit of truth. Intellectuals attempt to better understand society so they can develop ways to solve social problems and help define culture and politics.
Anti-intellectuals tend to have an unfavorable view of intellectuals. They see scholars and academics as out of touch with everyday problems affecting ordinary citizens. They think intellectuals are arrogant and lack morals. In some cases, anti-intellectuals believe intellectuals are dangerous or rebellious. Consequently, anti-intellectuals may view educational institutions with suspicion or contempt and may even condemn the pursuit of higher education. They also discount the value of subjects related to the creative arts and humanities, such as art history, music, and philosophy. In contrast, anti-intellectuals celebrate the everyman and a common-sense approach to life. They place more emphasis on religious faith and morality than on critical thinking and reason. When it comes to education, they value the pursuit of knowledge with professional applications, or teaching people what they need to know to work in a particular occupation. They are less concerned about encouraging critical-thinking skills or the lifelong pursuit of knowledge for the sake of learning.
According to Hofstadter, anti-intellectualism does not steadily increase or decrease over time. Rather, it fluctuates, rising and falling in response to social conditions. He explains, for example, that during the early 1950s, and especially during the period of McCarthyism, anti-intellectualism enjoyed a period of popularity. McCarthyism is a phrase used to describe the efforts of US senator Joseph McCarthy to root out and identify anyone with suspected ties to communism, regardless of whether evidence of such ties actually existed. During this period, people began to view intellectuals at many institutions with suspicion. Teachers and professors at high schools and colleges often became targets of accusations of disloyalty. As a result, many began to diminish the value of education. Even the president showed open scorn for intellectuals. In a speech in 1954, Dwight D. Eisenhower referred to "wisecracking so-called intellectuals" and offered a definition of intellectual that he found amusing: "a man who takes more words than are necessary to tell more than he knows."
Hofstadter notes that by the end of the 1950s, people's opinions on intellectualism began to change, especially after the Soviet Union launched its satellite Sputnik I into space and became the first nation to put a man-made object into orbit around Earth. Suddenly, Americans found themselves in the "space race"—a race they already were losing. The need for more challenging school curricula and higher teacher salaries became hot topics in the national conversation. As a result, the anti-intellectualism that dominated the start of the decade began to subside.
Topic Today
In the early twenty-first century, a number of journalists and writers have suggested that anti-intellectualism is again on the rise in American society. According to historian and writer William E. White in his 2014 article "America: Dumb and Dumber," Americans lack education. About 20 percent of students fail to finish high school, and 20 percent of those who do graduate and continue to college require remedial coursework to catch up. White believes that anti-intellectualism is at least partly to blame for these trends. Many anti-intellectuals believe that pursuing a college degree is no longer worth the cost of college or university tuition. Furthermore, a Pew Research Center survey from July 2017 found that, among those surveyed, approximately 58 percent of Republicans indicated that colleges and universities were having a negative effect on the country. Pew Research continued the study in 2019 and found that, among those surveyed, approximately 59 percent of Republicans felt colleges and universities were having a negative effect on the country, demonstrating an upward trend in this sentiment. In comparison, in 2019, among surveyed Democrats only 18 percent shared this view of colleges and universities. This was down from 2017, when 19 percent of surveyed Democrats felt that way. Intellectuals agree that college costs are skyrocketing; however, they favor searching for solutions to decrease college costs rather than encouraging students to turn their backs on education.
Rising anti-intellectualism also is evident in declining interest in the arts and humanities. As David Masciotra notes in his 2014 article "Richard Hofstadter and America's New Wave of Anti-intellectualism," just 8 percent of college students in the United States major in the humanities. Most pursue more practical majors in fields such as technology and engineering. In March 2017, President Donald Trump's administration proposed removing all federal funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, which works to support excellence in the arts. Similarly, when schools need to cut funding to balance budgets, humanities programs such as art and music often are the first to go. Other evidence of anti-intellectualism in the twenty-first century United States includes
- distrust of certain groups of people simply because they come from particular countries or cultures;
- disregard for scientists' investigations into and findings about climate change; and
- acceptance of "fake news" and "alternative facts" as truth without verifying their accuracy.
Intellectuals argue that anti-intellectualism is a serious threat to the United States and the world. Solving problems such as terrorism and climate change requires outside-the-box thinking—the exact type of thinking that is cultivated by studying the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Intellectuals believe that the world needs them to continue to push forward by learning, questioning, researching, educating, and innovating, no matter how much anti-intellectuals try to thwart their efforts.
Bibliography
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