Anti-Intellectualism in American Life

To Learn more, I went off in search of a book

A book by the name of Anti-Intellectualism in American Life

By Richard Hofstadter

               This book, published in 1962, gives essential a history of intellectualism and anti-intellectualism in America since the founding fathers. But he doesn't narrow down the history of intellect in the U.S. to a “running battle between eggheads and fatheads." His main focus is that of the rise of a political correct evangelical influence, as well as the direction America’s education took that regularly favors personal growth rather than intellectual challenge. Starting from the Jefferson era to the early Kennedy administration, during which Hofstadter writes about, of the ever growing change to intellectualism. 

          Most of Hofstadters'  logic is based off events that contributed to the incline of anti-intellectualism, particularly during the Eisenhower administration. This in my opinion actually give the book its own identity that has its own view of the issue from a less modern perspective. It gives contrast to what the definition anti-intellectualism is in modern day, compared to what Hofstadter says it was during his era. In his words, “[anti-intellectualism] was the resentment against intellects, who ‘were once gently ridiculed, are now fiercely resented,’ not because of a decline, but an improvement in his fortunes. 

          What I particularly found interesting was the problems that plague schools today, have almost always existed after it became a more public domain. And that obsession with athleticism that apparently has persisted to this day. 

                 "A host of educational problems has arisen from indifference-underpaid teachers, overcrowded classrooms, double-schedule schools, broken-down school buildings, inadequate facilities and a number of of other failings that come from something else-a cult of athleticism, marching bands, high-school drum majorettes, ethnic gehtto schools, de-intellectualized curricula, the failure to educate in serious subjects, the neglect of academically gifted children. 

                   At times the schools of the country seem to be dominate by athletics, commercialism, and the standards of the mass media, and these extend upwards to a system of higher education whose worst failings were underlined by the bold president of the University of Oklahoma who hoped to develop a university of which the football team could be proud. Certainly some ultimate educational values seem forever to be eluding the Americans. At great effort and expense they send an extraordinary proportion of their young to colleges and universities, but their young, when they get there, do not seem to care even to read."

               Considering this was written in 1962, it brings a serious question, has anything really improved? While some would cry that anti-intellectualism has been on the rise...has it? Have schools always been lagging behind, thus causing a sever lack of children and adults that have the capacity to think critically? 
               Thanks to the authors thorough depth and explanation, I certainly had a better grasp of what I was learning about. Despite the book's publishing date, (and the authors more leftist views), it still provided a beneficial history of anti-intellectualism in American history that I can compare to modern day. Overall, I enjoyed the book, and while it doesn't address the issue that one might expect, it does broaden one's view on what is considered anti-intellectualism.