Uncommon Knowledge: Dr. Thomas Sowell on Intellectuals and Society

Why hasn't Thomas Sowell ran for president? This guy "gets it".

"Goodbye" is the perfect response to the Cabinet and most of the people in D.C.

Brilliance!

What a brilliant mind…can never get enough of Sowell.

Thomas Sowell ~

"Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it."

"Talkers are usually more articulate than doers, since talk is their specialty. "

"The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers."

"The next time some academics tell you how important diversity is, ask how many Republicans there are in their sociology department."

"The most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. Therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive."

This video should be a monthly feature. It is a fantastic piece for folks who are new to this site, and a reminder to the rest of us, that we need to produce more than conservative chatter.

I think you are correct as to his reasons for not seeking public office..

I wish politicians would tell us what's on their mind and not try to tell people what to do, however.

Dr. Sowell is in my opinion the greatest American thinker of the last quarter-century.

Wow, Dr. Sowell…a great thinker and intellectual who understands things. How rare to hear some one like him. A real treat. Thanks.

He's an intellectual, and he gets it.

Dr. Thomas Sowell is so articulate and intelligent that I forgot he was black

.

Sowell is a Rock Star !! Love that guy! Beck has had him on plenty.

Where's Chris Matthews– is he a racist or something for not having the guy on?

Eloquent, reasonable, and truly a delight to read and to listen to his well crafted words. I even endorse his autobiography A Personal Odyssey which is a wonderful read.

Dr. Sowell and Walter E. Williams are two main reasons why I became a conservative libertarian. Great minds, and never arrogant. He destroys so many of the liberal-elitist-academic types who think minorities cannot achieve anything without AA or extra help, exposing them for the condescending frauds they truly are.

I'll add to this with a video video of Dr. Sowell and the great Milton Friedman:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJBeuR0xEP8

Keep on rockin', Dr. Sowell.

The problem is that none of the good ones would ever run for office. Why would they sully themselves? Being a slimeball is near to a prerequisite to the job. Until that changes only the compromised will get the job.

Can you envision a Sowell/Krauthammer administration? Every time they made a move the jackals would rip and tear at them. We're all hosed till we change this situation drastically.

Now I'll have to go watch the whole episode. He has a brilliant way of stating universal truths that everyone should know.
My observation of intellectuals has led me to the belief that they're good for nothing but regurgitating the thoughts of those who came before them.

Oh, God. Ain't that the truth! There are certain people I can't speak to anymore, because of what you mentioned. No actual exchange of ideas occurs. Sad commentary. I think so many of us have experienced this same thing. I, too, do so love Thomas, for the very reasons you mentioned. Universal truths! I am so glad I realized what they are, otherwise I think I would be quite mad. Just like my crazy progressive ex-friends.

Yup, sure can! Agree! They couldn't win. (a curse of MSM) This reminds me of a Frank Zappa album called (I think) "Weasels Ripped My Flesh", a parody on politics. Big satire. (Or, was it Razors, or Jackals?) Doesn't matter. I would not like to see the likes of our treasured Thomas Sowell ripped to shreds by the MSM. Or anyone else for that matter. But, my friend, us Americans will find a way to "get it done". We always do! Take heart!

So, so true!

Every time Thomas talks, I listen.

I couldn't resist the bait and had to watch all five parts. The guy is fun to listen too. What I notice is that while he's essentially skewering intellectualism for the sake of intellectuallism he's remains keenly aware that while he does have a profound understanding and insight into the human condition that he may actually not know everything himself.

I particularly appreciated the bit about "consequential knowledge" being so imminently more necessary and less centralized as it relates to putting your damn landing gear down before you land an aircraft.

"Good-bye". The perfect solution. Thank you Dr. Sowell.

I've heard Sowell speak about the regurgitation of thoughts. That is basically what he said.

What a nice exchange. I love that this Dr., a brilliant man, is able to share knowledge and/or his educated opinions with regular folks in terms that all can follow, understand & in most cases be in agreement with. No need to feign platitudes for one intellectual.
I think I will have to buy his book.

Um…know it's knot

I think, given his definitions, that Dr Sowell would not appreciate being called an "intellectual." However, I don't believe that there are many intellects on the planet to equal his.

The current consensus among the political elite of BOTH parties in American politics is that we can, if we just apply the right policies, the right incentives, the right *thinking*, correct the deficiencies of our society. But this is exactly won't and can't happen because no mind or group of minds is capable of doing what the market can do: coordinate the knowledge and activities of the billions of humans on this planet in ways that leavse those individual free to pursue their own ends. The free market and the political institutions of the rule of law and private property it depends on are being eroded and when they are gone, we will only be left to look back down the road of serfdom that we travelled.

American white women, if only you could have chosen Dr. Thomas Sowell to be your President! I mean, if it were just about being politically correct! However, I'm afraid that it was even more than that because I doubt that you would have voted for him as you did for Comrad obama!

Dr. Sowll is one of the smartest men in America and yet he is branded by most liberals and black Americans because he has the audacity to speak the truth.

Dr Sowell is awesome! I am going to tongue in cheek disagree with a basic premise of his book. That is the term “intellectual”. I would replace it with “Blow Hard”. What I find is that people who consider themselves “intellectuals” typically are dumber than a box rocks. They may be well read or have good oratory skills, but they lack basic reasoning skills. Take BHO for example. We’ve seen him for a year and I have to say, he obviously is way below average in reasoning skills. When you take an IQ test they don’t measure how well read or how well you can speak. They measure your potential to solve problems both logically and spatially. Simply put, if X is true and Y is true then Z must be … I would submit that BHO probably has an average to below average IQ. Again most people don’t understand what that means, and if you disagree you obviously don’t have a clue. As 30 + software engineer/architect with a very high IQ, it frustrates the H#!! out me to think people like BHO are best we can do. Not to mention liberalism is illogical to begin with.

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True that! Liberals are idiots by definition!

Substance, baby.

Intellectuals come to think so highly of their product partly due to the fact that their audience does. (In many ways they display a narcissism not unlike that of many hollywood or sports figures.) But more generally, I think there is a natural tendency among all people who acheive certain insights about the world and the way it works to think that they've "got it" and that because of those insights, they are in a priviledged position relative to their fellows. His hubris leads to what F.A. Hayek called a fatal conceit: a belief that our conscious reasoning abilities are fully capable of comprehending all aspects of the world, fully; and with that knowledge, shaping the world to our desires. The real danger is that when this desire to engineer is turned towards society, the results are as tragic as they are predictable.

Iwould say that Dr. Sowell considers actually producing goods for society, or being in the military as a grunt will disqualify you forever from intelectuals. A high IQ is not needed only the belief that you are smarter than the rest. Numerous people that DR. Sowell considers intulectuals would never qualify for MENSA.
Mr. Kerry was an oficer in the militay and thinks because he was able to get out of the Nam War he is ultra smart, I understand he even wrote his own valor papers for his medals.

Dr. Sowells intulectuals ar people who do not do physical work and tell those doing the production of goods what they are doing wrong. They are the people who kept Winston Churchill off BBC for several years in the thirties. They touted disarmament in the face of Hitler. Had they succeeded in totally disarming the non-Axis countries all people without blue eyes would now be dead.

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