Thomas Sowell discusses his new book Intellectuals and Society here. I predict this book will be one of the most influential books among his many influential books.
The Wright brothers, who fulfilled the centuries-old dream of human
beings flying, were by no means intellectuals. Nor were those who
conquered the scourge of polio and other diseases, or who created the
electronic marvels that we now take for granted.
All these people produced a tangible product or service and
they were judged by whether those products and services worked. But
intellectuals are people whose end products are intangible ideas, and
they are usually judged by whether those ideas sound good to other
intellectuals or resonate with the public.Whether their ideas turn out to work– whether they make life better or worse for others– is another question entirely.
The ideas that Karl Marx created in the 19th century dominated
the course of events over wide portions of the world in the 20th
century. Whole generations suffered, and millions were killed, as a
result of those ideas. This was not Marx’s intention, nor the
intentions of many supporters of Marxian ideas in countries around the
world. But it is what happened.
