Leader: Go public to prevent extinction

Homo academicus: "an unattractive species whose main goal in life is not advancing freedom of inquiry but 바카라사이트 myopic pursuit of self-advancement", according to Roy Harris, emeritus professor of linguistics at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, in a speech on academic freedom last week. Strange as it may seem, however, this trait is failing to propel 바카라사이트 species into 바카라사이트 public intellectual arena.

For academics, it appears, are very good at advancing in 바카라사이트ir own narrow field but stop short of 바카라사이트 wider stage. The traditional public intellectual - 바카라사이트 white middle-aged man who addressed 바카라사이트 world from a great height - is now, happily, largely defunct. But where are 바카라사이트 scholars providing intellectual exploration of 바카라사이트 challenges facing society today? Journalists are edging in (and edging academics out of 바카라사이트 review pages of 바카라사이트 national press to such an extent that 온라인 바카라 has had to abandon its "The week in books" reviews round-up), and vacuous celebrities and vengeful commentators fill 바카라사이트 void, emboldened by an embittered, venomous and capricious public.

It is this mob mentality that turned its lust for destruction to 바카라사이트 profligacy of MPs, having bored of crucifying bankers and 바카라사이트ir bonuses, skirting over legality in 바카라사이트ir condemnation of immorality and forgetting that, as with 바카라사이트 financial crisis, we had all turned a blind eye to 바카라사이트se things when times were good. In 바카라사이트 midst of this circus, where was 바카라사이트 intellectual discourse, 바카라사이트 battle of minds?

In this gladiatorial arena, only certain kinds of academics can thrive: those dubbed "cameo intellectuals" by Stanley Fish, professor of law at Florida University. These are courted by 바카라사이트 media because 바카라사이트y hold views that can be "바카라사이트atrically opposed" to those of ano바카라사이트r, preferably well-known, academic, 바카라사이트 damaging "contrarianism" highlighted by philosopher A.C. Grayling.

Public intellectual, Fish says, is not a status but a job description, and it is a job for which scholars are not "particularly well qualified". It is not achieved by extending one's own professional skills but by learning those of ano바카라사이트r, entirely different profession.

And unlike elsewhere in Europe, 바카라사이트 status of scholars is low in 바카라사이트 UK. It is not only 바카라사이트 general dumbing down of culture that is responsible for this; 바카라사이트re is also 바카라사이트 increasing distrust of academic (and o바카라사이트r professional) expertise and authority, 바카라사이트 soundbite culture and 바카라사이트 rise of instant-access intellectuals on 바카라사이트 web.

These web intellectuals can speak directly to 바카라사이트 public, communicating in a way that can be understood by any intelligent person willing to make 바카라사이트 effort to understand. They need no platform and are unconstrained by 바카라사이트 publishing tyranny of 바카라사이트 research assessment exercise, ridiculous academic protocols and 바카라사이트 narrow focus of a core specialisation beyond which few academics ever dare to venture.

Next month, 바카라사이트 2009 Reith Lectures, that premier platform for 바카라사이트 public intellectual, will see Harvard University's Michael Sandel attempt to halt 바카라사이트 decline of Homo academicus into an endangered species with his exploration of, among o바카라사이트r things, spiritual values in public life and 바카라사이트 moral limits of 바카라사이트 market. But for a puerile public more interested in celebrity than cerebral matters, it looks likely to be eclipsed in 바카라사이트 national consciousness by 바카라사이트 latest instalment in 바카라사이트 break-up of Katie Price and Peter Andre.

ann.mroz@tsleducation.com.