Why We Need Public Intellectuals Now More Than Ever
Intellectuals are the lifeblood of society’s knowledge. They are the people who dedicate their lives to discovering big ideas, engaging in critical thinking, and making breakthroughs that push the boundaries of human intellect.
Intellectuals probe into the future and its unknowns, excavate the past and interrogate today’s big questions. However, there are two types of intellectuals: those working primarily within specialised academic or professional circles and public intellectuals striving to connect their findings with society.
While the importance of both intellectuals and public intellectuals cannot be either/or, as each plays a unique and necessary role, the public intellectuals in today’s world make a more visible impact on society. Unlike their more insular counterparts, public intellectuals go beyond creating knowledge — they bring complex ideas into the public domain, translating abstract concepts into accessible ideas. Their ability to communicate effectively with the broader public ensures that specialised knowledge and discoveries are not locked behind academic paywalls or confined to conferences and journals inaccessible to the average person. Public intellectuals, therefore, bridge the gap between abstract thinking and public understanding, making their scholarship accessible to the people who need it most.
The Role in Knowledge Creation
Traditionally, when working within universities and research institutions, intellectuals are deeply committed to developing and advancing specialised knowledge. Their discoveries, often the product of years of study, benefit humanity immensely by expanding our collective understanding in domains like philosophy, science, and economics, engineering and technologies.
Intellectuals push the frontiers of knowledge, asking questions and solving problems that often go beyond the average person’s reach. However, while they make these contributions, the results of their work often remain within academic circles, accessible only to specialists or those willing and able to pay for access.
This knowledge confinement limits the broader societal impact of intellectuals, even though their discoveries could benefit many.
An intellectual might publish a ground-breaking paper in a high-profile journal, but its reach is confined to those who can access it. This limitation constrains how the public can engage with or benefit from new ideas, which are often written in a specialised language.
Their research findings may change the understanding of a subject beyond what is known, but without public intellectuals translating these concepts, the knowledge stays within an exclusive circle.
Public Intellectuals: Translators of Complex Ideas
Public intellectuals share the same traits as other intellectuals: they are thinkers, researchers, and problem-solvers. But unlike their more ivory tower counterparts, public intellectuals act as translators, bridging the gap between complex ideas and the public’s understanding. They don’t only publish their discoveries in specialised journals but engage with the general public through accessible books, articles, public lectures, and media appearances.
Public intellectuals bring their thinking into the mainstream, to the public foreground, actively disseminating knowledge that allows society to understand and reflect on critical issues.
For example, Professor Cornel West has become widely known not only for his longstanding scholarship on race, social and economic equality, and imperialistic hegemony but also for his dedication to engaging with the public on these issues. Through his writing and public speaking, he has helped many, including myself, to grasp and critically reflect on these societal challenges.
His works, such as Race Matters and Democracy Matters, highlight his commitment to public intellectualism, where his profound ideas about race and democracy reach far beyond the academy and into the public consciousness.
Similarly, economists like Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson have shared their ground-breaking research on institutions, government, and economic progress with a broader audience. Their works, including Why Nations Fail and The Narrow Corridor, explain the complex relationships between institutions and economic growth in ways anyone can appreciate.
By exploring these topics in accessible languages, public intellectuals increase public understanding of today’s big questions: inequality, institutional decay, climate changes and the rapid evolution of technology — especially now, as the world grapples with the potential of artificial intelligence to reshape economies and societies.
In postcolonial studies, we have Achille Mbembe, who has emerged as an influential public intellectual who discusses issues related to colonialism, culture, identity, and inequality. His work, On the Postcolony, in particular, brings historical and cultural insights into the public foreground, examining how colonialism has shaped modern power dynamics and identities in the former colonies of Africa. Mbembe educates and challenges public perceptions, inviting readers to question longstanding social and cultural structures, and this is only possible because he is a public intellectual.
Why do we need public intellectuals more than ever?
In our world, where information is everywhere but nuanced understanding is scarce, public intellectuals play a vital role. They engage with society’s pressing questions, shedding light on issues that influence policy, inform public debate, and empower individuals to think critically. Public intellectuals apply their findings to real-world problems, making their scholarship relevant to society.
While both types of intellectuals are essential and not either/or, I will contest that public intellectuals have a unique power to shape society. They make knowledge digestible and relatable, nurturing an informed public that can engage with the major questions of our time.
Public intellectuals excavate history to illuminate the present, probe future challenges, and share their findings with the public so that we all confront and think through pressing issues of our time.
Conclusion
Society needs both intellectuals and public intellectuals to tackle the big questions of our time, but it is the public intellectuals who bring intelligence into everyday life. Through their ability to communicate, engage, and challenge, public intellectuals offer society accessible tools for reflection and action. We need more of them to educate and help the public to make sense of our time.
I suggest the following texts for further reading
- Race Matters by Cornel West
- Democracy Matters by Cornel West
- Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson
- The Narrow Corridor by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson
- On the Postcolony by Achille Mbembe
