In The Last Intellectuals (1987) Russell Jacoby argued that the iconic crop of midcentury public intellectuals — Irving Howe, Dwight Macdonald, Edmund Wilson — had given way to a younger generation of scholars devoted to highly specialized knowledge, the obscure jargon of narrow disciplines, and the bureaucratic demands of university careers. They were, in effect, a “missing generation” — and led to a diminished public discourse and a diminished culture at large.
Now almost 30 years later, in a new academic climate — one marked by the rise of the Internet, demands for greater diversity on campus, and harsh economic realities — the question persists: What role does the university play in helping or hindering a culture of public intellectuals? Russell Jacoby, Jonathan Holloway, Claire Bond Potter, and Leo P. Ribuffo revisited that question at the annual meeting of the Society for U.S. Intellectual History, in Washington in October. These essays are adapted from their remarks.
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The Review
The Latest Intellectuals
In an era of one-stop thinking and instant commenting, we’ve lost the slow work of reflection. -
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Is the Internet the Final Bohemia?
The places where intellectuals used to thrive have disappeared, but a new one has arisen. -
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The Perennial Re-Discovery of the Black Intellectual
So much of their work is dedicated to insisting that they even exist. -
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Intellectuals vs. Scholars
As the audience for academics shrinks, playwrights and comedians have moved to the fore.