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Top 5 "Public" Intellectuals


Victoria

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In no particular order:

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Dave Burge, blogger: Iowahawk (write-in)

Jean Baudrillard: recently deceased but still one of the very best (write-in)

David Petraeus: because he can

Charles Johnson, blogger: Little Green Footballs (write-in)

Pat Sanety, blogger: Dr. Sanity (write-in)

Poopzilla the Pigeon: my nest-mate (write-in)

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In no particular order:

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Nice choice. She's very young too.

(I have a Six Degrees of Separation to her, to boot)

Jean Baudrillard (deceased but still one of the very best)

:lol: :lol:

Only living intellectuals, else I'm going to write-in Jean-Fran

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Baudrillard was so far ahead of the curve that he might as well be alive.

Personally, I like the way the bloggers I mentioned think: which qualifies them as intellectuals in my book.

Anywho, I find that FP's list smells a bit of formaldehyde, if you know what I mean....

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Baudrillard was so far ahead of the curve that he might as well be alive.

Personally, I like the way the bloggers I mentioned think: which qualifies them as intellectuals in my book.

I once likened bloggers to 18th century pamphleteers, wondering if we'll find a Th.omas Paine amongst them. I think so.

Anywho, I find that FP's list smells a bit of formaldehyde, if you know what I mean....

Did he invent formaldehyde too? ;)

One of the commenters at a site said that s/he didn't recognise more than half the names, so though these are mostly "popular" intellectual choices (Orhan Pamuk, Christopher Hitchens, Th.omas Friedmann, Gary Kasparov, heh God), and not "real" ones, they are still esoteric enough for most people.

Since this site is about cheating the system, I'd be remiss not to give you this link:

http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/intellectuals/

Vote early, vote often! ;)

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To be perfectly honest, there are tons of names I don't recognize....for instance, who's the Benedict the-sixteenth-in-his-line dude? As if Benny Jr. wouldn't be good enough? Surely some pompous SOB.

Among the names I do recognize, there are several, given their notorious intellectual dishonesty, that I'm not at all happy to see.

Honi soit qui mal y pense....

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This thread makes me feel so stupid, the only names I know so far are Th omas Paine and the Pope.

Meh, that's an honest reaction but not the one I hoped for, Abat!

This will come out the wrong way, but you know what you describe is ignorance not stupidity. There is a cure for ignorance (knowledge). There is no cure for stupidity.

I didn't quote that from anyone. It's one of my own. :p

Things Victoria is ignorant about:

Cars

Cookery

Music

Television Shows like Seinfeld, Friends, Coronation Street

MANY other things

Just to put it into context. :)

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Yes I know what you mean. I must admit studying intellectuals is not on the top of my todo list either. I am happy to be ignorant of such things.

And I even tried to debase myself to make sure you understood where I was coming from, Abat! Boo, you suck. :p

@Ryyannon: Actually, you know, that's one of the reasons I believe in God. It keeps me humble...

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An interesting list, although I also don't recognize most of the names -- and I'm fairly well read. Even after reading some of the capsule bios, I don't think I'd be able to cast an intelligent vote.

What I find more interesting is that we even have a thread on RWG regarding top intellectuals, as opposed to who is going to win the world cup or favorite tv shows.

But at least we can all benefit from having something new to talk about at the local pub when the home team tanks. :lol:

Thanks, V, for making us all more aware.

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An interesting list, although I also don't recognize most of the names -- and I'm fairly well read. Even after reading some of the capsule bios, I don't think I'd be able to cast an intelligent vote.

I guess it would be elegant of me to say, after so many intelligent people have said "I don't recognise a lot of the names", something like, "Hey guys, me too!". But I am tired of lowering myself just to look cool.

Jkerouac, I recognise more than 80% of those names, and I don't feel bad. :p

What I find more interesting is that we even have a thread on RWG regarding top intellectuals, as opposed to who is going to win the world cup or favorite tv shows.

I know what you mean. :)

BUT, see, this is what puts most people off!

Being intellectual, or wanting to be smart, or whatever you want to call it, is not mutually exclusive to popular fare. In fact, that's why I could never live in France. Intellectuals hate sport and television there, thinking it's something for dumb people. I couldn't disagree more!

But at least we can all benefit from having something new to talk about at the local pub when the home team tanks. :lol:

There ain't nothing wrong with that. :p

Thanks, V, for making us all more aware.

Gosh. *kicks pebbles*

Thanks!

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I should have mentioned, Malcolm Gladwell, the New Yorker and non-fiction book author on this list, spoke at a conference I attended two weeks ago. Engaging and entertaining fellow. Al Gore (another member of the list) also spoke at the conference, but I was on a plane home by the time he spoke.

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I should have mentioned, Malcolm Gladwell, the New Yorker and non-fiction book author on this list, spoke at a conference I attended two weeks ago.

I've met him, and he is what might be called a cold duck. Very disagreeable person, one on one. Not to mention, his professionalism has been called into question.

I guess he's going for the Rigoberta Menchu category.

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I've met him, and he is what might be called a cold duck. Very disagreeable person, one on one. Not to mention, his professionalism has been called into question.

I guess he's going for the Rigoberta Menchu category.

As I said, I found Gladwell entertaining and thought-provoking. But I was surprised that he made this list. I've browsed his books and he seems a bit light-weight compared to the others on the list.

Excuse me while I look up Rigoberta.

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