Aug 222010
From the Hoover Institute, an interview with Dr. Thomas Sowell.
Recorded on December 11, 2009Thomas Sowell discusses his new book Intellectuals and Society
Thomas Sowell introduces his new book Intellectuals and Society and expounds on what he calls “the fatal misstep of intellectuals” — the assumption that superior ability within a particular realm can be generalized as superior wisdom or morality overall.
He offers examples of these missteps in areas as divergent as economics, the environment, and national defense. Finally, he warns us to resist the influence of intellectuals and points out that the demand for public intellectuals is largely manufactured by the public intellectuals themselves. (36:33) Video transcript
To go to segments within a video, click the links below:
- start video from beginning Thomas Sowell introduces his new book, Intellectuals and Society, and expounds on what he calls “the fatal misstep of intellectuals.”
- start segment 2 at 7:07 Thomas Sowell offers examples of why intellectuals are so often wrong about economics.
- start segment 3 at 14:19 What is the vision to which contemporary intellectuals subscribe? Thomas Sowell responds.
- start segment 4 at 22:02 Thomas Sowell reasons that intellectuals certainly can renounce war, “and that does not stop your neighbor from building up the biggest army in the world and coming in and killing you.”
- start segment 5 at 29:11 Thomas Sowell explains how the demand for public intellectuals is largely manufactured by the public intellectuals themselves.
My favorite quote from the interview: “You can become president of the United States with no contact with economic reality.”