Intellectuals in Power: The Genealogy of Critical Humanism -- Modern Thought Translation Series (Volume 4)

Author: Paul Bowles (USA), translated by 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. The book aims to compile an analytical report, on one hand demonstrating the immense potential of rigorous humanistic critique, and on one hand outlining the boundaries of that potential, thereby preserving the ideals of shared democracy. The book points out that in the hands of great humanists such as Erich Apter, Marshall Hodgson, and Edward Said, critical humanism achieved two far-reaching goals: First, it revealed the unequal distribution of power, and, as Said put it, it 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 embedded in power in a unique way. The book's title often invites misinterpretation from hostile 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 consciousness and frequently run counter to the goals they profess.