An advice for Academics
Just picked up a new book, “The Intellectual
Chose it after reading the Ecstasy of Influence, quoted a passage from the book, and also because I couldn’t find the other books that were quoted, so thought I’ll start of with this one.
Anyways, I found a good quote for you academics out there:
…even if you have personally lost the urge to be an intellectual, you are nevertheless seeding the next generation of intellectuals. Resist the temptation to quash the free-ranging and often reckless spirit that marks the first flowering of the critical intellect. It is too easy to invoke rules and standards that you know - and in other contexts would admit - are arbitrarily imposed for the sake of administrative convenience. If you cannot honestly justify academic strictures on intellectual grounds, then be as open as possible about the power relations that compel you to restrict or censure the student’s mode of expression. It is natural for students to be confused about many things, but they should never leave your office confused on this matter.
Actually, it doesn’t just apply to academics.
