Intellectuals in Power: The Genealogy of Critical Humanism

Author: Paul Bowles (USA)
Translator: Xiao Sha
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: The Intellectuals in Power offers a critical interpretation of several of the most prominent contemporary Western theorists—Nietzsche, Foucault, Said, Althusser, and others—examining their positions and constructive roles within the discourse system of critical humanism. It elucidates the complex relationship between intellectuals and power, institutions, discourse, and more. It demonstrates the immense potential of rigorous humanistic criticism while also outlining its limitations, thereby preserving the ideals of shared democracy. In fact, the book argues that through the work of great humanists like Althusser, Hodgeison, and Said, critical humanism achieved two far-reaching goals: First, it revealed the unequal distribution of power and, in Said’s words, compelled intellectuals to speak the truth to power. Second, and more importantly, it exposed how critical humanism ultimately reached its limits, thereby revealing its anti-democratic foundation rooted in the state and demonstrating how intellectuals are inextricably entangled with power in unique ways.
The book’s title often invites misinterpretation from unfriendly critics, who assume it refers to "powerful intellectuals." In reality, it is a premise set by this post-Foucauldian work: power cannot be understood merely by placing it within a grammatical possessive structure. Intellectuals are situated "within" power, meaning they are immersed at the nodes of power and discourse systems, and they themselves are these nodes. The effects of these nodes often operate beyond their conscious control and frequently run counter to their stated goals.