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Richard Hofstadter, Anti-intellectualism in American Life (Knopf, 1963; Vintage, 1972) Disturbed by America's general contempt for "eggheads," Hofstader investigated and unearthed what he considered to be the roots of the nation's historical propensity for anti-intellectualism — evangelical movements from the Great Awakening to Billy Graham, the ideal of practicality among American businessmen, the decline of the educated gentleman and the rise of the populist political style. The book was written largely in response to the conformism of the 1950s and the McCarthyite assault on intellectuals; however, as Todd Gitlin has pointed out, Hofstadter's work remains relevant in light of George Bush's rise to power and the recent resurgence of anti-intellectualism. MORE: Excerpts from the book Gitlin's essay in The Chronicle Review David Greenberg essay about Hofstadter in the Atlantic Amazon |
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