Pseudo-Intellectuals
And how to identify them
I wrote an article a couple of years ago about “pseudo-intellectuals.” I had two sources of inspiration. One was the influential work by Richard Hofstadter, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, and the other was 1 Corinthians 1:20: “Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”
I realized, as a philosopher, that what Socrates faced was not so much the anti-intellectual as the pseudo-intellectual. These are persons who claim to love the life of the mind; they equally love hearing the latest ideas and debating them, but they do not know even the basics about reality.
I wrote my article before Justice Jackson could not define “woman,” but that would have been a prime example for me. We saw it again last week, as “intellectuals” testifying before the Supreme Court could not define “woman.”
The pseudo-intellectual is dangerous because she tells you that she loves the life of the mind and that she is wise. She misleads many by being cunning and crafty in her intellectual posturing. But her path is the path to a darkened mind.
The pseudo-intellectual is as easy to spot as she is harmful. All you have to do is ask her to prove what she claims. She claims to live the life of the mind, so please demonstrate to us that you know the basics about reality. For instance, what is the good? She will give a “nuanced” answer that says nothing. Now you know you are dealing with a pseudo-intellectual.
It is equally easy to avoid being a pseudo-intellectual. You must know what your highest good is. We have to deal with the fact that we are naturally inclined to (1) think we are wise when we are not, and (2) resist all correction and discipline.
To lead the examined life, you must start by taking an honest look at yourself. Do you know what is good?
If you’d like to read that article and others, I have many of them posted on my web page at this link:
https://drowenanderson.com/topics/online-library/