Tag Archives: Public Intellectuals

RIP Immanuel Wallerstein — “This is the end; this is the beginning”

Posted on September 1, 2019 by

A towering intellectual, pathbreaking thinker, and preeminent sociologist Immanuel Wallerstein passed away. He lived a deep commitment to scholarship, justice and change. Wallerstein has written dozens of remarkable and outstanding books, and hundreds of influential papers and shrewd commentaries. He was … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Erik Olin Wright has contributed to making utopias real

Posted on January 23, 2019 by

“Gramsci once described the struggle for social justice as requiring ‘pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.’ I believe in the world today we need an optimism of the intellect as well: an optimism grounded in our understanding of … Continue reading →

Posted in Oleg Komlik | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

C. Wright Mills on Knowledge, Power, and the Moral Duty of the Intellectual

Posted on August 10, 2018 by

An eminent and brilliant sociologist C. Wright Mills (1916-1962) was deeply concerned with the responsibilities of social scientists in the post-World War II (American) society. Therefore he advocated for engagement of intellectuals in public life in contrast to merely conducting distant observations. … Continue reading →

Posted in Oleg Komlik | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Name and Shame: Columbia University fired two Public Intellectuals because they hadn’t brought in enough grants

Posted on March 17, 2014 by

This story should worry everyone who cares about democracy, society and wants academics to play a larger role in public debates. Anthropologists Carole Vance and Kim Hopper, longtime professors at Columbia University’s School of Public Health got fired without compensation after … Continue reading →

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