Intellectuals in Politics

What has been the role of intellectuals in the twentieth century and what, if any, will be their role in the future? Frequently scorned and reviled, intellectuals have nevertheless played a vital part in shaping this century. Since their original intervention in the Dreyfus affair to the case of Salmon Rushdie, intellectuals have aroused controversy. Jeremy Jennings and Tony Kemp-Welch introduce a collection of essays from leading academics in the field of political theory. After their introduction on the major issues confronting intellectuals, this book explores the various different aspects of the intellectual's role, including: * philosophers and academics who have tried to define the function of the intellectual * how intellectuals have assumed the status of the conscience of the nation and the voice of the oppressed * the interaction of intellectuals with Marxism * the place of the intellectual in American society Covering regions as diverse as Israel, Algeria, Britain, Ireland, central Europe and America, this collection considers the question of whether the intellectual can still lay claim to the language of truth. In addresseing this question Intellectuals in Politics tells us much about the modern world in which we live. Edward Acton, University of East Anglia, Lahouri Addi, Universite de Lyon II, Richard Bellam, University of Reading, Steven Biel, University of Harvard, George Boyce