Mommy, what's an intellectual?

Justin Schwartz jkschw at hotmail.com
Mon Jul 9 11:49:02 PDT 2001


'
> > > ...
>
>"Suggests" is incorrect. If one constructs a meaningful
>category of intellectuals, perforce there must as well be a
>non-empty category of non- or unintellectuals, who presumably
>do not do or cannot do the things intellectuals do. But what
>do intellectuals do that other kinds of people don't do?
>

Oh, puleeze. Intellectuals read, write, and interpret difficult abstract concepts in disciplines requiring special training and long study. Most people read, write, and interpret something or other, but that no more makes them intellectuals than the fact that I occassionally knowck together a few shelves makes me a carpenter. The fact that my sister, a journeyman carpenter, reads a book or writes an email now and then doesn't make her an intellectual; she would bew as helpless placed in front of Rawls or Adorno as I would be if you told me to hang a door. I am not saying that one is better than other. Carpentry is also a discipline requiring study and training, which I aint got. Btw, most professors and professionals are not intellectuals, if that is supposed to mean persons of wide culture. Most philosophy, law, and political science profs I know (to take the disciplines I knnow best) are narrow technicians. --jks _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com



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