Intellectuals

1. The Intellectual's Paradox: Grand Ideals, Flawed Lives

One of the principal lessons of our tragic century, which has seen so many millions of innocent lives sacrificed in schemes to improve the lot of humanity, is-beware intellectuals.

Noble aspirations, ignoble actions. Many intellectuals, while proclaiming a unique love for humanity and an evangelical duty to guide it, led lives marked by profound personal failings. Their public pronouncements often stood in stark contrast to their private conduct, revealing a deep chasm between their grand ideals and their treatment of actual human beings. This paradox is a recurring motif throughout their biographies.

Hypocrisy in practice. Figures like Rousseau, who championed education and natural living, abandoned his five children to an orphanage, justifying it as a civic act. Shelley, the poet of love and liberty, ruthlessly discarded his pregnant wife and children, causing immense suffering. Tolstoy, the prophet of universal love, was cruel to his family and exploited serf women. These examples highlight a consistent pattern:

• Rousseau: Abandoned children, justified by Platonic ideals.
• Shelley: Deserted pregnant wife, rationalized as personal growth.
• Tolstoy: Cruel to family, preached universal love.

A disturbing pattern. The author suggests that this disconnect is not accidental but inherent in the intellectual's approach. Their focus on abstract concepts often blinds them to the concrete suffering of individuals, leading to a "heartless tyranny of ideas" where personal morality is sacrificed for perceived higher truths.

2. Truth as a Casualty: The Intellectual's Disregard for Veracity

The belief seems to be spreading that intellectuals are no wiser as mentors, or worthier as exemplars, than the witch doctors or priests of old.

Truth as a flexible tool. A striking characteristic of many intellectuals is their casual or deliberate distortion of facts to fit their ideological narratives. Marx, for instance, systematically falsified data in "Capital" to support his theories of capitalist exploitation, using outdated sources and misrepresenting statistics. Lillian Hellman built her public persona on a foundation of elaborate lies, fabricating personal histories and heroic acts.

Self-serving narratives. Autobiographical works, often presented as candid revelations, frequently served as instruments of self-glorification and deception. Rousseau's "Confessions," for example, were a masterful exercise in selective honesty, designed to portray him as a virtuous martyr while concealing his true character. Similarly, Hemingway's memoirs were riddled with fabrications about his war service and personal life.

• Marx: Falsified economic data in "Capital."
• Rousseau: Distorted personal history in "Confessions."
• Hellman: Invented heroic acts and personal narratives.

The "higher truth" justification. This disregard for factual accuracy was often justified by a belief in a "higher truth" or a greater cause, for which mundane facts could be sacrificed. This intellectual dishonesty, however, undermined their credibility and often led to disastrous practical consequences.

3. Egoism as the Driving Force: Self-Interest Masquerading as Altruism

No one in my family has been able to arouse my curiosity about him.

Monumental self-absorption. Many leading intellectuals exhibited an overwhelming egoism, viewing others primarily in relation to their own needs and ambitions. Sartre, a spoiled only child, dismissed his father as insignificant and his mother as a mere attendant, seeing his own life as the sole focus of universal progress. This self-centeredness often manifested as a profound lack of empathy for those around them.

Exploitation of relationships. Friendships and familial bonds were frequently instrumentalized. Marx, for example, relentlessly exploited Engels financially and emotionally, viewing him as a resource for his work. Ibsen, despite his calls for individual liberation, maintained a rigid, self-serving distance from his family, including an illegitimate son, to protect his own career and financial security.

• Marx: Exploited Engels and family for financial support.
• Ibsen: Maintained distance from family to protect career.
• Sartre: Dismissed family members as irrelevant to his self-focused narrative.

The "genius" exemption. This pervasive egoism was often coupled with a conviction of their own unique genius, which they believed exempted them from ordinary moral strictures. Their self-proclaimed importance justified their demands on others and their indifference to the suffering they caused.

4. The Exploitation of Women: A Pattern of Servitude and Deception

The sensual needs I satisfied with her were purely sexual and were nothing to do with her as an individual.

Women as instruments. A disturbing pattern among many intellectuals was the systematic exploitation of women, who were often reduced to roles of sexual partners, unpaid secretaries, domestic servants, or emotional support systems. Rousseau's mistress, Thérèse Levasseur, was kept for "sensual needs" and forced to abandon their children. Marx's wife, Jenny, endured poverty and emotional neglect while copying his illegible manuscripts and bearing his children, only to be replaced by a servant who bore his illegitimate son.

The "openness" fallacy. Many advocated for "free love" or "transparency" in relationships, but this often served as a pretext for their own promiscuity and infidelity, while demanding fidelity or subservience from their female partners. Bertrand Russell, a champion of sexual liberation, engaged in numerous affairs while his wives endured humiliation and emotional distress. Sartre's "sexual collectives" were essentially harems where he was the undisputed master.

• Rousseau: Used Thérèse, abandoned children.
• Marx: Exploited Jenny and Lenchen, denied paternity.
• Russell: Serial infidelity, justified by "creed."
• Sartre: Maintained a "seraglio," demanded subservience.

Emotional and intellectual subservience. Even brilliant women like Simone de Beauvoir became subservient to Sartre, sacrificing their own careers and emotional well-being to serve his genius. This pattern highlights a profound hypocrisy in their advocacy for women's liberation.

5. Detachment from Reality: Ideals Over Experience

I am afraid you’ve got it wrong. Clough Williams-Ellis and I are socialists. We don’t pretend to be Christians.

Ivory tower pronouncements. Many intellectuals, despite their fervent pronouncements on social and economic issues, remained profoundly detached from the realities of ordinary life. They rarely engaged with the working class they claimed to champion, preferring abstract theories to empirical observation. Victor Gollancz, a socialist publisher, lived a life of luxury, rarely interacting with the workers he claimed to represent, yet confidently dictated their needs.

Ignorance of practicalities. Their grand schemes for societal reform often lacked any practical understanding of human behavior or economic realities. Tolstoy, for instance, repeatedly attempted land and educational reforms on his estate without consulting experts or understanding the peasants' perspectives, leading to chaos and failure. Edmund Wilson, despite his on-the-spot reporting, revealed a shocking ignorance of basic financial obligations, failing to pay taxes for years while advocating for ambitious government programs.

• Gollancz: Advocated for workers, lived in luxury, rarely met them.
• Tolstoy: Failed at land/education reform due to lack of practical knowledge.
• Wilson: Ignored tax obligations while demanding state expansion.

The "bubble" of ideas. This detachment often created a "bubble" of ideas, where theoretical consistency trumped real-world consequences. Their pronouncements, however well-intentioned, often proved irrelevant or actively harmful when applied to complex human societies.

6. The Allure of Extremism: Logic Over Common Sense

The more innocent they are, the more they deserve to be shot.

Logic pushed to the absurd. Intellectuals often exhibited a dangerous tendency to push logical arguments to extreme, inhuman conclusions, overriding common sense and moral intuition. Bertolt Brecht, a committed Stalinist, chillingly argued that the more innocent a purged comrade, the more they deserved to be shot, as their innocence made them a greater threat to the Party's narrative. This illustrates a cold, ruthless application of ideology.

Pacifism as aggression. Even pacifists like Bertrand Russell, while genuinely abhorring war, sometimes advocated for extreme measures. During the early Cold War, he proposed a preventative nuclear war against the Soviet Union to establish a world government, a position he later denied or downplayed. His pacifism, at times, had a distinctly aggressive and absolutist edge.

• Brecht: Justified execution of innocent comrades.
• Russell: Advocated preventative nuclear war for peace.
• Sartre: Encouraged "counter-violence" against the state.

The "necessary murder" syndrome. This willingness to endorse violence, often framed as "necessary murder" or "counter-violence," reveals a profound moral inconsistency. It highlights how abstract principles, when divorced from human empathy, can lead to terrifying justifications for brutality.

7. The Seduction of Power: From Critique to Control

Marx does not believe in God but he believes much in himself and makes everyone serve himself.

Dictatorial tendencies. Many intellectuals, while often starting as critics of existing power structures, harbored a deep-seated desire for control and exhibited dictatorial tendencies in their personal and professional lives. Marx, for instance, ran his editorial staff as a "simple dictatorship" and ruthlessly purged working-class socialists who challenged his doctrine. Tolstoy, despite his anti-state rhetoric, retained the authoritarian spirit of a Russian barin, expecting instant obedience.

The intellectual as Messiah. They often saw themselves as uniquely qualified to lead and reshape society, assuming a messianic role. Tolstoy believed he could effect a moral transformation of the world, while Sartre aimed to bring about mass participation in his philosophical system. This self-perception justified their attempts to impose their will on others.

• Marx: Dictatorial editor, purged rivals.
• Tolstoy: Expected instant obedience, saw himself as a prophet.
• Brecht: Ran his theatre with "fierce and arbitrary authority."

Control over narratives. This desire for control extended to narratives and public opinion. Brecht, with his state-subsidized theatre, meticulously controlled the presentation of his plays and his public image, ensuring his artistic vision aligned with the regime's propaganda.

8. The Peril of Utopianism: Blueprints for Disaster

The political process, and the new kind of state it brings into being, are the universal remedies for the ills of mankind.

Abstract solutions, concrete suffering. The grand utopian schemes proposed by intellectuals, often rooted in abstract philosophical systems, frequently led to immense human suffering when put into practice. Rousseau's theory of the General Will, for example, provided a blueprint for the totalitarian state, where individual rights were subsumed by the collective, a concept later exploited by figures like Robespierre.

Ideological children. The ideas of these intellectuals, particularly those advocating radical societal transformation, often had devastating real-world consequences. Sartre's philosophical encouragement of "necessary violence" and his support for figures like Frantz Fanon contributed to the ideological justification for mass atrocities, such as the Cambodian genocide orchestrated by his "ideological children."

• Rousseau: General Will led to totalitarian state concepts.
• Marx: Apocalyptic vision fueled communist revolutions.
• Sartre: Justified violence, influenced figures like Pol Pot.

The failure of prediction. Despite their claims of scientific foresight, these intellectuals consistently failed to predict the actual outcomes of their proposed revolutions, often leading to regimes far more oppressive than those they sought to overthrow. Their faith in abstract concepts blinded them to the complex, often irrational, nature of human societies.

9. The Cult of Self-Promotion: Crafting a Public Persona

Extravagance of personality is one way in which the pill can be sugared and the public induced to look at works dealing with ideas.

The intellectual as celebrity. Many intellectuals, recognizing the power of public image, meticulously crafted and promoted their own personas to amplify their influence. Rousseau, with his studied simplicity and "hirsute highbrow" look, was the first to systematically exploit the guilt of the privileged and present himself as an "Angry Young Man." Hemingway, with his safari suits, guns, and "Papa" image, became the archetype of the action-intellectual.

Sartorial statements. Dress and appearance were often key components of this self-promotion. Ibsen's elaborate formal wear and collection of medals, Brecht's "worker's suit" and perpetual three-day beard, and Mailer's aggressive, hip aesthetic all served to create distinctive, memorable public figures.

• Rousseau: Simple dress, "hirsute highbrow."
• Ibsen: Formal wear, displayed medals.
• Brecht: "Worker's suit," three-day beard.
• Hemingway: Safari gear, "Papa" image.

Media manipulation. They mastered the art of media manipulation, giving interviews, staging public appearances, and even creating "archives" to ensure their legacy. This constant self-advertisement, while often driven by vanity, was also a calculated strategy to disseminate their ideas and maintain their status as cultural arbiters.

10. The Flight of Reason: The Decline into Incoherence

Logical fiddlesticks!

The erosion of intellectual rigor. As many intellectuals aged, their initial intellectual rigor often gave way to irrationality, paranoia, and increasingly absurd pronouncements. Bertrand Russell, a logician, famously dismissed a logical argument with "Logical fiddlesticks!" when it challenged his emotional convictions. His later years were marked by extreme, often contradictory, political statements and conspiracy theories.

The "cerebral menopause." This decline, termed the "Flight of Reason," saw figures like Tolstoy, in his old age, retreat into a self-created world of utopian pronouncements, detached from reality and filled with banalities. Sartre, too, in his final years, became a pathetic figure, blind, drunk, and endorsing increasingly nonsensical political movements.

• Russell: Contradictory political stances, conspiracy theories.
• Tolstoy: Retreat into utopian, detached pronouncements.
• Sartre: Endorsed absurd political movements, lost intellectual coherence.

A warning for humanity. The author concludes that this pattern underscores a fundamental danger: when intellectuals prioritize concepts over people, and emotion over reason, they can lead themselves, and potentially society, into destructive paths. Their collective advice, therefore, should be met with profound skepticism.

Last updated: October 26, 2025