Knowra Anti-intellectualism Anti-intellectualism Anti-intellectualism is hostility or suspicion toward intellectuals, expertise, and scholarly or scientific ideas, often favoring practical knowledge or popular judgment instead.
Epistemic distrust : Doubt about the reliability or legitimacy of sources of knowledge. Suspicion of intellectuals often starts by questioning whether their knowledge deserves trust.
Jacksonian democracy : A nineteenth-century US political movement emphasizing popular sovereignty and opposition to entrenched elites. Its celebration of ordinary citizens helped establish a durable suspicion of elite authority.
Isaac Asimov : An American writer and biochemist whose essays addressed science, education, and public understanding. His essay “A Cult of Ignorance” criticized the celebration of uninformed opinion.
Technocracy : A system of governance in which technical experts exercise substantial decision-making authority. It places expert authority at the center of governance, opposite anti-expert suspicion.
Science denial : Rejection or misrepresentation of well-supported scientific findings, often despite strong evidence. It is a prominent expression of hostility toward scientific authority.
Populism : A political outlook that frames society as a struggle between ordinary people and a corrupt elite. Populist appeals can cast experts as an elite opposed to ordinary people.
Populist Party : A US political party founded in 1891 that represented agrarian and labor interests against concentrated power. Its conflicts with economic and political elites show one historical route to anti-expert politics.
Thomas Frank : An American political analyst and author of books on populism, class, and political culture. His writing examines resentment toward educated elites in contemporary US politics.
Expertise : Specialized knowledge or skill acquired through study, training, or extensive practice. Anti-intellectualism questions the authority that expertise can confer.
Misinformation : False or inaccurate information, whether spread deliberately or unintentionally. When expert sources lose credibility, inaccurate claims can circulate with fewer checks.
Show all 24