Anti-Intellectualism in American Life

Richard Hofstadter's Anti-Intellectualism in American Life (1963) explores the historical prejudice against intellectuals in the United States. Hofstadter argued that the nation's egalitarian and populist sentiments, particularly those stemming from Jacksonian democracy, fostered a suspicion of intellectuals, viewing them as an elite and detached group.1

Anti-intellectualism itself is defined as an attitude that subordinates or denies the power of intellect and reason, or a hostility towards intellectuals and academic thought. This perspective suggests a cultural tendency to distrust abstract thinking and scholarly pursuits, favoring more practical or common-sense approaches. Hofstadter's work posits that this anti-intellectual strain has been a recurring theme in American political and social history.231