The influence of intellectuals is not only greater than in
previous eras but also takes a very different form from that envisioned
by those like Machiavelli and others who have wanted to directly
influence rulers. It has not been by shaping the opinions or directing
the actions of the holders of power that modern intellectuals have most
influenced the course of events, but by shaping public opinion in ways
that affect the actions of power holders in democratic societies,
whether or not those power holders accept the general vision or the
particular policies favored by intellectuals. Even government leaders
with disdain or contempt for intellectuals have had to bend to the
climate of opinion shaped by those intellectuals.
Intellectuals and Society
not only examines the track record of intellectuals in the things they
have advocated but also analyzes the incentives and constraints under
which their views and visions have emerged. One of the most surprising
aspects of this study is how often intellectuals have been proved not
only wrong, but grossly and disastrously wrong in their prescriptions
for the ills of society -- and how little their views have changed in
response to empirical evidence of the disasters entailed by those views.
