21/04/2017 TriumphoftheThoughtLeaderandtheEclipseofthePublicIntellectualTheChronicleofHigherEducation

THECHRONICLEREVIEW

TriumphoftheThoughtLeader
andtheEclipseofthePublicIntellectual

ByDanielW.Drezner APRIL06,2017

PREMIUM

I
tisthebestoftimesforThoughtLeaders.Itistheworstoftimesfor
PublicIntellectuals.Itisthemostconfusingoftimesforthoseofusin
theacademy.

Letmeunpacktheseterms.PublicIntellectualsareexperts,oftenacademics,
whoarewellversedandwelltrainedenoughtocommentonawiderangeof
issues.AsFriedrichHayekputit,PublicIntellectualsare"professional
secondhanddealersinideas."ThinkPaulKrugmanorJillLepore.AThought
Leaderisanintellectualevangelist.Theydeveloptheirownsingularlensto
KevinVanAelst
explaintheworld,andthenproselytizetoanyonewithinearshot.ThinkRobert
KaganorNaomiKlein.

BothPublicIntellectualsandThoughtLeadersengageinactsofintellectualcreation,buttheirstyleandpurposearedifferent.Toadoptthelanguage
ofIsaiahBerlin,PublicIntellectualsarefoxeswhoknowmanythings,whileThoughtLeadersarehedgehogswhoknowonebigthing.Theformer
areskeptics,thelatteraretruebelievers.APublicIntellectualwilltellyoueverythingthatiswrongwitheveryoneelsesideas.AThoughtLeader
willtellyoueverythingthatisrightabouthisorherownidea.

Bothintellectualtypesserveavitalpurposeinademocracy.PublicIntellectualsareoftenbashedaselitists,buttheyhelptoexposeshibboleths
masqueradingasacceptedwisdom.Theyarecritics,andcritiquingbadideasisanecessaryfunction.Theirgreatestcontributiontopublicdiscourseis
topointoutwhenanemperorhasnoclothes.ThoughtLeaders,ontheotherhand,areoftenderidedasglibTEDtalkerslackinginsubstance,but
theycanintroduceandpromotenewideas.Duringtimesofuncertaintyandchange,ThoughtLeaderscanofferintellectuallystimulatingwaysto
reimaginetheworld.

ApublicspheredominatedbyPublicIntellectualshashighbarrierstoentrythemarketplaceofideasbecomesossifiedandstagnantovertime.One
dominatedbyThoughtLeadershashighbarrierstoexittoomanybadideaslingerintheintellectualether.Ahealthypublicdiscourseinwhichgood
ideasrisetothetoprequiresabalancebetweenthetwotypesofthinkers.

Inthepastfewdecades,however,themarkethasbecomeunbalanced.Thesurgeofideasconferences,speakerbureaus,andTEDlikeevents
suggeststhatthedemandforthinkershasgrown.Theproliferationofmediaplatformshasacceleratedthattrend.Atthesametime,thesupplyof
intellectualshasincreasedfarbeyondtheacademy.Inforeignpolicyandeconomicanalysis,theareasIammostfamiliarwith,academicsmust
competewithawelterofthinktanks,privatesectoroutlets,andprofessionalpunditstohavetheirvoiceheard.

Asbothdemandandsupplyhaveincreased,themarketplaceofideashasbecometheIdeasIndustry.Promotingideasinthepublicspherehas
becomeabigbusiness,asanyonelookingatspeakersbureaufeescanattest.Furthermore,theIdeasIndustryisfarmoreweightedtowardThought
LeadersthanPublicIntellectuals.Itisnotacoincidencethattheprivatesectorhasbeenthebiggestboosteroftheterm"thoughtleadership."
Corporationsappreciatethevalueofbranding,askillthatisacomparativeadvantageofThoughtLeaders.TheriseoftheforprofitThoughtLeader
hascomeatthesametimethatthoseintheacademyhaveretreatedfromthepublicsphere.

ThesamedeepforcesthathaveempoweredThoughtLeadershavealsohamperedtheacademysabilitytoinfluencethemarketplaceofideas.Three
factorstheerosionoftrustinauthority,theincreaseinpoliticalpolarization,andgrowthineconomicinequalityhavecollectivelyloweredthe
academyspublicstanding.Tobesure,manyacademicshavefoundpublicoutletsinplaceslikeVox,Lawfare,orTheWashingtonPostandTheNew

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YorkTimes.SomeacademicshavelearnedtosurviveandthriveintheIdeasIndustry.Mostofthesuperstars,however,primarilydosobyadopting
thestyleofThoughtLeaders,therebytippingthescalesevenfurthertowardthattribe.

O
verthepasthalfcenturytherehasbeenanerosionofpublictrustinalmosteverymajorAmericaninstitutionexceptforthemilitary.This
includeshighereducation.In1974,theaveragepercentageofpeoplewhohave"agreatdeal"ofconfidenceineducation,accordingto
theGeneralSocialSurvey,peakedatapproximately50percent.By2012averageconfidencehaddroppedto26percent.

ScholarsattemptingtoweighinonpublicaffairsconfrontadelegitimizingassaultontheacademycallittheWaronCollege.Conservativeshave
beenblastingtheivorytowerasgodless,leftist,andinsularsinceWilliamF.BuckleyJr.sGodandManatYale.Recentcriticismhasfocusedon
speechrestrictions.InacoverstoryforTheAtlantic,GregLukianoffoftheFoundationforIndividualRightsinEducationandJonathanHaidt,a
socialpsychologistatNewYorkUniversitysbusinessschool,decriedthetendency"toscrubcampusescleanofwords,ideas,andsubjectsthatmight
causediscomfortorgiveoffense."Andthereisnoshortageofappallinganecdotes:FromLauraKipnis,theNorthwesternUniversityprofessorwho
facedaTitleIXinquisitionforpubliclycriticizingtheuniversityssexualharassmentprocess,totheunrulygroupofprotestersatMiddlebury
CollegewhoblockedCharlesMurrayfromspeaking.

Conservativecriticismsoftheacademyhavebeenaconstantfordecades.Whatismoreunusualisthevocalcriticismcomingfromtheleft.Feminists
haveattackeduniversitiesforbeinghavensofsexualassault.Minoritygroupshavecritiquedthestructuralprivilegethatallegedlypervadeselite
campuses.Leftistsdeploreuniversitiesasbastionsofelitism,sublimatingthegoalofhighereducationinfavorofappeasingcorporatedonors.

ConsiderWilliamDeresiewiczsmuchdiscussedjeremiad,ExcellentSheep,acritiqueoftheuniversityssurrendertoneoliberalism:"Eliteschools
liketoboastthattheyteachtheirstudentshowtothink,butalltheymeanisthattheytrainthemintheanalyticandrhetoricalskillsthatarenecessary
forsuccessinbusinessandtheprofessions."Deresiewiczishardlyaloneinholdingthisview.

Theconservativeandcorporatistcritiquesareintension.AccordingtoLukianoffandHaidt,politicalcorrectness"teachesstudentstothinkinavery
differentway.Itpreparesthempoorlyforprofessionallife,whichoftendemandsintellectualengagementwithpeopleandideasonemightfind
uncongenialorwrong."Ifthisistrue,thenDeresiewicziswrongtoaccuseuniversitiesofincubatingcorporatedrones.IfDeresiewicziscorrect,
however,thenLukianoffandHaidtshypothesisisexaggerated.

Thepointisthatbothcritiquesareflourishingatthesametime,evidenceofwidespreadsupportfortheWaronCollegeandgrowingdisdainforthe
professoriate.Simplyput,itseasierthanevertodismissacademicinterventionsinthepublicsphere.

T
hegrowthofpoliticalpolarizationintheUnitedStatesisanothercauseofimbalanceintheideasindustry.Anorgyofevidence
demonstratesthatweareatpeakpartisanship.Politicalelitesarenowmoreideologicallyextremethanatanytimeinpostwarhistory.
Experimentalresearchsuggeststhatpartisansaremorelikelytodiscriminatebasedonpoliticaldifferencesthanonraceorgender.

Risingpartisanshiphashappenedjustasacademicshavedriftedfurthertotheleft.Whetheronelooksatsurveydata,voterregistration,orcampaign
contributions,theresultsareincontrovertible:Americanacademicsarefarmoreliberalthantherestofthecountry.Thatdivergencehasincreased
overthepast25years.AccordingtoUCLAsHigherEducationResearchInstitute,in1990thenumberofselfidentifiedliberalsandleftistsin
academewasroughlyequaltothenumberofmoderates.By2010thereweretwiceasmanyliberalsasmoderates,andalmostsixtimesasmany
liberalsasconservatives.Ifonelooksonlyatthesocialsciencesandthehumanities,theseratiosareevenmorestackedinfavorofliberalsandthe
left.

Justbecausescholarshavepoliticalpreferencesdoesntmeantheirworkiscompromised,butthosepreferencesdobiasthequestionstheyask.One
studyofsocialpsychologistsconcludedthatthesharpleftwardtiltofthefielddidnotinvalidateexistingresearch,butitdidalterthedirectionof
futurescholarship:"Researchersmayconcentrateontopicsthatvalidatetheliberalprogressnarrativeandavoidtopicsthatcontestthatnarrative."
Sociologysuffersfromasimilarproblem.Anotherstudyconcludedthattheleftistleaningsofsociologists"compressestherangeofacceptable
scholarship,andconstrainssociologicalinsight."Theseproblemsarehardlyuniquetothesedisciplinesotherresearchhasdemonstratedalink
betweenascholarspoliticaltiltandthetrajectoryofhisorherresearchinbothlawandinternationalrelations.

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Theleftwarddriftoftheacademygivesconservativesaneasywaytoderideacademicinterventionsinthepublicsphere.FrederickM.Hess,director
ofeducationpolicystudiesattheAmericanEnterpriseInstitute,toldTheWashingtonPostrecentlythat,"tome,universityleadershiphasfelt
enormouslypartisan."InresponsetouniversitybasedcriticismsoftheTrumpadministration,Hesssaidthatideologicalhomogeneityoncampus,
"factorsintoseeingthisascheappartisanthuggeryratherthananyseriouscommitmenttorobustcivicdebate."Inasurveyofforeignpolicyelites
thatIconducted,conservativeswerefarmoreskepticalaboutthevalidityofsocialscienceresearchthanweremoderatesorliberals.

E
conomicinequalityisathirdfactorfuelingacademesshrinkinginfluenceonthepublicsphere.Inthelastfewyears,anewclassof
benefactorshasemergedthatuniversitypresidentscanwootobolstertheirendowments.Indeed,universityadministratorshaveretreated
frompubliclifeinlargepartbecausetheyhavebecomefulltimefundraisers.Themodernmarketplaceofideashasmadetheirjobmore
challenging.First,itsdifficulttospeaktruthtomoneyuniversitiesneedtopleasewealthybenefactors.Second,agrowingnumberofpotential
benefactorshavespurnedtheacademy.SomeSiliconValleybillionaireslikePeterThielarguethathighereducationactuallyretardsintellectual
progress.Hepayspeopletoskipcollege.Mostmodernplutocratsarenotsoextreme,buttheirstyledoesdifferfromtheRockefellersandCarnegies
ofyesteryear.Thenewphilanthrocapitalistsareinterestedin"impact"investmentstheywanttheirgivingtohaveadirecteffectontheworld.
Theywantuniversitiestosponsorresearchorteachingthataddressestheirviews,likerequiringAynRandsAtlasShruggedtobetaughtinclasses.
AstheBrookingsInstitutionsDarrellWestnotes,becauseofthepreconceivedworldviewsofthesephilanthrocapitalists,"itisbecomingharderto
separateacademicphilanthropyfromadvocacy."

Thedesireforactionclasheswiththeacademicimpulsefordetachment.Academicstypicallyinterveneinthemarketplaceofideasastraditional
PublicIntellectualsreadytoexplainwhysomenewpolicyideaisunlikelytowork.PatronswouldmuchratherbankrollThoughtLeadersbecause
theypossesstwoqualitiesthatbenefactorslike:positiveideasforchange,andtheconvictionthattheycanmakeadifference.

ThisgapbetweenprofessorsanddoersgoesbacktoMaxWebers"ScienceasaVocation,"inwhichheimploredprofessorstokeeptheiracademic
tasksseparatefromotherspheresoflife,especiallypolitics.Nottosaythatacademicscouldntengagethepublic,butWebernotedthattheprimary
taskofaprofessorwasto"teachhisstudentstorecognizeinconvenientfacts."Weberfurtherarguedthatpoliticalactionwasadifferentactivity
altogether:"Thequalitiesthatmakeamananexcellentscholarandacademicteacherarenotthequalitiesthatmakehimaleadertogivedirectionsin
practicallife,or,morespecifically,inpolitics."AnacademicactingasaPublicIntellectualistryingtostraddlebothoftheseroles,andrisksdoing
bothpoorly.

T
heacademicsmostlikelytothriveintheIdeasIndustryarethosewhoadoptthetropesofThoughtLeaders.TheHarvardBusinessSchool
professorClaytonChristensen,forexample,hasbuiltanintellectualempirearoundtheideaofdisruptiveinnovation.Thedegreeofself
confidenceascholarprojectsshapeshowothersperceivethatscholarsarguments.Asmuchasscholarshipissupposedtocountberalles,
thereisnodenyingthatassertivescholarscanswayopinion.Onereasonthateconomistsaremoreinfluentialthanothersocialscientistsisthat,as
DaniRodriknotes,economistswhotalktothepublicactmorelikehedgehogsthanfoxes.

Iknoweconomistswhomakefantasticallyboldpredictions,andIenvytheirsereneconvictionthattheyarerightdespiteamplereasonsfordoubt.In
thepastdecade,economistshavemadeseriousmistakesonissueslikeassetbubbles,financialderegulation,andwhetherfreetradeinan
unambiguousgood.Thedisciplinehasyettoengageinmuchintrospection.

AmarketplaceofideaswithstrongeruniversitieswouldbeonethatempoweredtraditionalPublicIntellectuals.Butdistrustinexpertise,political
polarization,andtheriseineconomicinequalityaredecadeslongtrendsthatareunlikelytoreversethemselvesanytimesoon.Allofthesetrendswill
harmPublicIntellectualsattheexpenseofThoughtLeaders.Inthefaceofthesegaleforcewindsofchange,isthereanythingacademecandoto
preserveaspacefortraditionalPublicIntellectuals?

Acknowledgingtheproblemswouldbeagoodfirststep.Universitiescanencouragescholarstomonitortheirowndisciplinessoastoreducethe
numberofacademicscandals.Theycandemonstrategreatertoleranceforconservativepointsofviewoncampus.Theycancultivateanemergent
clusteroforganizationsliketheTobinProjectorBridgingtheGap,whichhelpacademicsgettheirideasbeforethepublic.

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Intheend,however,universitiesalsoneedtorevivetheirinstitutionalprestige.ItisworthrememberingthatAmericanhighereducationremainsthe
globalleaderinjustabouteverydiscipline.SkepticswhodoubttheutilityofcollegesshouldberemindedthathighereducationisoneofAmericas
leadingexportsectors,runninga$35billionsurplusin2015.ArecentjointletterbyuniversitychancellorsprotestingtheTrumpadministrations
immigrationbanpointsthisout.Itisalsoawelcomedisplayofuniversitypresidentsreenteringthepublicsphere.Administratorscouldalso
persuadephilanthropicfoundationstocarealittlelessaboutimmediateimpactandalittlemoreaboutlongterminvestmentsinintellectualcapital.

ItwillnotbeeasyforuniversityleadersandacademicstobalancetheconfidenceofThoughtLeaderswiththeselfcriticismofPublicIntellectuals.
Thisrequiresacomplexequipoise.Ontheotherhand,professorsaregoodatappreciatingshadesofgray.Weshouldembracethisadditionallayerof
complexity.

DanielW.DreznerisprofessorofinternationalpoliticsattheFletcherSchoolofLawandDiplomacyatTuftsUniversity.Thisessayisadaptedfrom
hisbookTheIdeasIndustry:HowPessimists,Partisans,andPlutocratsareTransformingtheMarketplaceofIdeas,justoutfromOxfordUniversity
Press.

Copyright2017TheChronicleofHigherEducation

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