Anti-intellectualism in American Life
Richard Hofstadter's 1963 history of distrust of the intellect in America.
At a glance
Key ideas
A definition, Access versus excellence, Evangelical roots …
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- Hofstadter traces the social movements that changed the role of the intellect in American life.
- He argues that anti-intellectualism and utilitarianism were partly consequences of democratising knowledge.
- He roots them in America's colonial and evangelical Protestant heritage, which valued the spirit over intellectual rigour.
- He asks what education is for, and whether democratisation changed it.
Why it matters
- It is the classic account of American anti-intellectualism, still cited whenever expertise is under attack.
Key facts
Key ideas
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A definition1
"Resentment of the life of the mind, and those who are considered to represent it."
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Access versus excellence1
The tension between education for all and excellence in education.
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Evangelical roots1
Evangelical Protestantism valued the spirit over intellectual rigour.
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The common man1
The view that plain common sense is as good as, or better than, expertise.
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