The poverty of ideas : South African democracy and the retreat of intellectuals / edited by William Gumede & Leslie Dikeni.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Gumede, William Mervin.

Dikeni, Leslie.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political culture.

Dissenters.

Intellectuals.

Intellectual life.

South Africa--Intellectual life.

Intellectuals--South Africa.

Dissenters--South Africa.

Political culture--South Africa.

Democracy--South Africa.

Democracy.

South Africa.

Physical Description:

xiv, 258 pages ; 21 cm

Place of Publication:

Auckland Park, South Africa : Jacana Media, 2009.

Summary:

"In a country where it has been suggested that the distinction requirements at schools be moved down from 80% to 70%, it is of grave importance that we evaluate the role of knowledge and what significance we attach to it. Do we respect and value the production of knowledge, or is contemporary South African society being 'dumbed down'? And if knowledge is no longer an essential commodity, do we have a need for a 'thinking class'; the intellectuals? Where are our great South African minds? Are they hiding in fear of our society's seeming intolerance of criticism and dissent? Eminent thinkers Leslie Dikeni and William Gumede examine how South African intellectuals have regressed from drivers of change in the Apartheid era to disenchanted ghosts that appear to fear critical engagement in The Poverty of Ideas. This title offers differing but critical evaluations of the responsibility of the progressive intellectual in a new democracy. During the struggle against apartheid intellectuals have spoken out and more often then not influenced the trajectory of events. But it appears that today's intellectuals are paralysed by fear of raising the ire of authority"--Kalahari.net website.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [242]-258).

ISBN:

9781770097759

1770097759

OCLC:

475448177

Publisher Number:

99942540034