A book by a philosopher at the University of Chicago might not be expected to become a rallying standard for a social cause. But when Allan Bloom wrote The Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today’s Students, conservatives took it to heart. Its impact, immediate and widespread, has hardly lessened since then. The book is still widely read, and widely debated. (Mr. Bloom died in 1992.) “In a strange way, he’s on common ground with the protesters of the ’60s,” Tom Hayden, the former student activist, told The Chronicle, “because from different perspectives we felt that the university was lacking in moral commitment.”
We’re sorry, something went wrong.
We are unable to fully display the content of this page.
This is most likely due to a content blocker on your computer or network.
Please allow access to our site and then refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account (if you don't already have one), or subscribe.
If you continue to experience issues, please contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com.