Intellectuals in Politics: From the Dreyfus Affair to Salman Rushdie

Frequently scorned and reviled, intellectuals have nevertheless played a vital part in shaping our century. They have done this by performing a variety of roles and responding to the diverse national contexts in which they have operated. Intellectuals inPoliticsassess the significance of intellectuals in shaping the political landscape. An introductory essay detailing the major issues confronting intellectuals is followed by four sections examining different aspects of the intellectual's role. The first section looks at philosophers and academics who have tried to define the role of the intellectual. The second includes essays on Israel, Algeria, Britain and Ireland and explores how the intellectual assumes the statues of conscience of a nation and the voice of the oppressed. The third section examines the interaction among intellectuals and Marxism especially in Eastern Europe. The final section assesses the place of the intellectuals and their quest forautonomy in American society. As the epilogue illustrates, the central question raised by this book is: "In whose name and with what authority does the intellectual speak." Contributors include:Steve Biel, George Cotkin, Davis Schalk