The words intellectual and intellectualism like many other
words can be used in many different ways. In this entry I use the term intellectual
in a particular way to critique a classist and Eurocentric trend common in
western thinking. Please use your own intellect to keep up ;)
Intellectualism is a culture. It’s a technical language, jargon;
with the sole purpose to exclude those who haven’t had the privilege to learn
it.
Intellectualism is often confused, by both those who do and
don’t consider themselves intellectuals, with intelligence and thoughtfulness. The thoughts, observations, and conclusions of
those who haven’t had the time, the access, or the interest to study works approved
by the dominant culture are discounted. The language of those who don’t draw
from a particular lexicon are likewise ignored. Of course those who have been educated
with such information typically are of the dominant culture or have earned
financial privilege in it. That is of course not to say that only white or rich
people have mastered the jargon of intellectualism; just that typically it is easier
for an affluent person of the dominant culture to be versed in this language.
The problem:
Oppressed people are discouraged by
the culture of intellectualism. Their oppressors, and would-be / so-called allies
define their worth by how versed they are in this jargon.
The task:
To reeducate oppressed people of
the value of possessing intellectualist knowledge. Would such reeducation be
well received?
Or to reeducate the intellectual would-be ally
that their specific knowledge of one Eurocentric language does not equate to a
general knowledge of the universe, nor does it invalidate the knowledge of
those who don’t share their use of intellectual jargon. Is it possible to
overcome the intellectual’s chauvinism?
Maybe it is time for a new form of intellectualism.
One just as knowledgeable and reliant on well thought out concepts, but perhaps
less chauvinistic and pretentious. Is such a thing possible or worthwhile? Would
it be wise for the various groups of oppressed people to form elite classes of
thinkers based on their own cultural points of view and customs, or would that
just perpetuate the existing problem? Has this already happened?
Perhaps all are appropriate tasks
to some degree.
But then again what do I know?