Anti-intellectualism in American Life

{{Infobox book

| name = Anti-intellectualism in American Life

| title_orig =

| image = File:AntiIntellectualismInAmericanLife.jpg

| caption = First edition

| author = Richard Hofstadter

| cover_artist =

| country = United States

| language =

| series =

| subject = Intellectualism

| genre =

| publisher = Knopf

| pub_date = 1963

| media_type =

| pages = 434

| isbn =

| oclc = 268837

| preceded_by =

| followed_by =

| awards = Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction (1964)

}}{{See also|Anti-intellectualism#In the United States}}

Anti-intellectualism in American Life is a book by Richard Hofstadter published in 1963 that won the 1964 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.De Simone, Deborah M. "[https://historycooperative.org/journal/the-consequences-of-democratizing-knowledgereconsidering-richard-hofstadter-and-the-history-of-education/ The Consequences of Democratizing Knowledge: Reconsidering Richard Hofstadter and the History of Education] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729143920/https://historycooperative.org/journal/the-consequences-of-democratizing-knowledgereconsidering-richard-hofstadter-and-the-history-of-education/ |date=2019-07-29 }}." The History Teacher. Vol. 34, No. 3 (May 2001).Lemann, Nicholas. "[https://www.cjr.org/second_read/richard_hofstadter_tea_party.php The Tea Party is timeless] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231120242/http://cjr.org/second_read/richard_hofstadter_tea_party.php/ |date=2016-12-31 }}." Columbia Journalism Review Online edition: September 2, 2014. — This story was published in the September/October 2014 issue of CJR with the headline, "The American way."

Summary

In this book, Hofstadter set out to trace the social movements that altered the role of intellect in American society.{{Cite web |url=https://www.loa.org/books/629-anti-intellectualism-in-american-life-the-paranoid-style-in-american-politics-uncollected-essays-1956-1965 |title=Richard Hofstadter: Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, The Paranoid Style in American Politics, Uncollected Essays 1956-1965 | Library of America |website=www.loa.org |access-date=2020-08-17 |archive-date=2020-08-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811105721/https://loa.org/books/629-anti-intellectualism-in-american-life-the-paranoid-style-in-american-politics-uncollected-essays-1956-1965 |url-status=live}} In so doing, he explored questions regarding the purpose of education and whether the democratization of education altered that purpose and reshaped its form.{{Cite web |url=https://www.salon.com/2020/05/30/anti-intellectualism-is-back--because-it-never-went-away-and-its-killing-americans/ |title=Anti-intellectualism is back — because it never went away. And it has killed 100,000 Americans |first=David |last=Masciotra |date=May 30, 2020 |website=Salon |access-date=August 17, 2020 |archive-date=August 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818063854/https://www.salon.com/2020/05/30/anti-intellectualism-is-back--because-it-never-went-away-and-its-killing-americans/ |url-status=live}}

Analysis

In considering the historic tension between access to education and excellence in education, Hofstadter argued that both anti-intellectualism and utilitarianism were in part consequences of the democratization of knowledge. Moreover, he saw these themes as historically embedded in America's national fabric, resulting from its colonial and evangelical Protestant heritage. He contended that evangelical American Protestantism's anti-intellectual tradition valued the spirit over intellectual rigor.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1qDWddtIlpAC |title=The Democratic Virtues of the Christian Right |isbn=978-1400830107 |last1=Shields |first1=Jon A. |date=2009-02-02 |publisher=Princeton University Press }}

Definition

Hofstadter described anti-intellectualism as "resentment of the life of the mind, and those who are considered to represent it; and a disposition to constantly minimize the value of that life."{{cite web |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/richard-hofstadter-and-americas-new-wave-of-anti-intellectualism |title=Richard Hofstadter and America's New Wave of Anti-Intellectualism |website=The Daily Beast |first=David |last=Masciotra |date=12 July 2017 |access-date=9 September 2021 |archive-date=13 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813131109/https://www.thedailybeast.com/richard-hofstadter-and-americas-new-wave-of-anti-intellectualism |url-status=live }} He further described the term as a view that "intellectuals...are pretentious, conceited... and snobbish; and very likely immoral, dangerous, and subversive ... The plain sense of the common man is an altogether adequate substitute for, if not actually much superior to, formal knowledge and expertise."{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/19/even-with-coronavirus-some-americans-deeply-distrust-experts-will-they-take-precautions/ |title=Many Americans deeply distrust experts. So will they ignore the warnings about coronavirus? |newspaper=The Washington Post |last=Merkley |first=Eric |date=19 March 2020 |access-date=9 September 2021 |archive-date=16 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416134919/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/19/even-with-coronavirus-some-americans-deeply-distrust-experts-will-they-take-precautions/ |url-status=live }}

References

External links

{{OL work}}
{{cite journal |last=Cook |first=Ramsay |author-link=Ramsay Cook |date=Winter 1963–1964 |title=Review of Anti-Intellectualism in American Life by Richard Hofstadter |journal=International Journal |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=98–99 |doi=10.1177/002070206401900122 |jstor=40198709}}

Category:1963 non-fiction books

Category:Alfred A. Knopf books

Category:Anti-intellectualism

Category:History books about the United States

Category:Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction–winning works

Category:Sociology books