From Incompetent Professionalism to Professionalized Incompetence—The Rise of a New Breed of Intellectuals

aware of its limitations and of the nature of things outside. Second Thesis: Although our new intellectuals extol the virtues of a rational debate they only rarely conform to its rules. For example, they don’t read what they criticize and their understanding of arguments is of the most primitive kind. Third Thesis: Historical studies are treated in a summary fashion or are altogether neglected even when they constitute the core of an argument. Fourth Thesis: Confronted with a challenge to basic beliefs (such as the belief that science excels above all other ways of understanding and mastering the world) our new intellectuals