The Disillusionment of the French Elite

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I'm always struck when I speak to members of a French elite because I think you still believe in something and you're willing to stand up for this even when it's unpopular. The extent to which that has proved not to be the case among the American elite in the last 10 or so years is really disheartening, he says. He also thinks students at Harvard are more self conscious about their extracurricular activities than they were as an undergrad there. This sort of instrumentalism accounts for the inability of U.S. elites to actually stand on principle according to him.

William Deresiewicz is an American author, essayist, and critic. He taught English at Yale University from 1998 to 2008. He is the author, among other books, of Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life.

In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and William Deresiewicz discuss how the intensely meritocratic nature of elite universities prioritizes striving over deep learning; the instrumentalization of traditional pursuits to the detriment of mastery; and how broader cultural transformations frustrate deep immersion in art, friendship, and learning.

This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

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