The New Age of Anti-Intellectualism
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Summary
Blending historical analysis with contemporary observation, Susan Jacoby writes with wit and verve and a clarity of argument that lands like a wake-up call for contemporary America. Taking no side but warning Americans that, at this critical political moment, indulging anti-intellectualism and anti-rationalism will only make them more foolish and turn their future into a spiritual wasteland, The New Anti-Intellectualism in America is a timely alarm bell for our own moment as well.
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in the evolution of American social culture and political thought
- Those concerned with media literacy and the quality of public discourse
- Readers who have read Anti-Intellectualism in American Life and want to follow the later debate
- Professionals in education, communication, or public policy research
Not a good fit for
- Researchers seeking systematic quantitative data and empirical models
- Readers looking only for sharply partisan political commentary
- Beginners without basic background knowledge of American history and public issues
Reading tips
- Skim Hofstadter's original or familiarize yourself with its core arguments before entering this book's continuation.
- Take notes by chapter theme, tracing the threads of religion, education, and the internet separately.
- When reading American cases, compare them with similar phenomena in the Chinese context and record your own judgments and questions.
- After finishing, organize a small discussion to exchange views on the boundary between anti-intellectualism and anti-rationalism.
About the publisher
Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a Chinese publisher oriented mainly toward translation and publishing. Its publications cover foreign literature, world classics and classic works, as well as social culture, folk literature and classical poetry. The database contains 2,618 titles, including Never Let Me Go, Les Misérables (2 volumes), Don Quixote (illustrated collector's edition), The Complete Comedies of Molière (4 volumes), The Complete Novels of Kafka (3 volumes), The Collected Works of Dostoevsky (9-volume set), Reason and Persons, and Oedipus Rex (Translation Classics). Its author resources include foreign writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Victor Hugo, Cervantes and Molière, as well as translators such as Zheng Kelu, Sun Jiameng, Li Jianwu and Zhang Kun. The publisher has brands such as "Translation Classics Selections" and "Translation Documentary," and emphasizes translated works in foreign literature and the humanities and social sciences, while also publishing bilingual dictionaries and foreign-language educational books. Public information is limited; the above is based on the book information in the database.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 序言 打了鸡血的反智主义
- 第一章 当下之道：伙计而已
- 第二章 往昔活法：一个年轻国度的智慧与无知
- 第三章 文化战起：社会伪科学
- 第四章 赤色分子、左倾分子与同路人
- 第五章 中流文化：由盛及衰
- 第六章 都怪1960年代
- 第七章 时代遗产：青年文化与名人文化
- 第八章 宗教翻新：新瓶装旧酒
- 第九章 垃圾思想
- 第十章 娱乐文化
- 第十一章 公共生活：等而下之的愚蠢
- 结语 文化保护
- 精选参考文献
- 致谢
FAQ
Can I understand this book without having read Anti-Intellectualism in American Life?
Does this book lean toward a particular political stance?
Are the internet and education issues discussed here relevant to Chinese readers?
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About the author
Susan Jacoby is an author whose work has been introduced to Chinese readers, represented by The New Age of Anti-Intellectualism, which is classified in the library under historical reading. Based on currently available public information, reliable details about her nationality, dates of birth and death, education, and personal experience are lacking, and the library holds only one of her works. Judging from the title The New Age of Anti-Intellectualism and its classification as historical reading, her writing appears to focus on a historical examination of social ideas and cultural trends, attending to the place and transformation of reason, knowledge, and professional judgment in public life. Such subjects generally require both historical synthesis and sensitivity to current issues, and the writing tends toward argument and analysis rather than narrative description. Given the limited material, a full assessment of her overall style and intellectual development is difficult; readers may learn more about her concerns and approach from the book itself.
Cao Yufei is a Chinese author about whom limited public information is available. What can be confirmed is that the author wrote The New Age of Anti-Intellectualism, the single work by this author held in our collection. The book is generally classified as a history title and discusses how anti-intellectual tendencies have manifested and evolved over time, displaying a clear reflective stance and an argumentative bent. Since no clear records of the author's life, educational background, or writing career have been found, and the author's academic identity and institutional affiliation cannot be verified, no speculation is offered here. Based on the available material, what can be grasped is the author's approach: starting from historical threads, paying attention to the phenomena of belittling knowledge and rejecting expert judgment in social thought, and attempting to trace their origins and development. The work is aimed at general readers interested in intellectual history and sociocultural issues, and it pursues readability and clarity of argument, making it a piece of popular history writing with a strong sense of inquiry. Readers who wish to learn more about the author will need to wait for further public information.
