The Relationship Between Intellectuals and Democracy

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The relationship between intellectuals and people has shifted in the last few decades. The basic problem seem to be the intellectual feeling threatened by the democratic impulse. It's striking that the range of argument in universities is so much more narrow than in american society as a whole. Universities are the source of our experts, and it should be of our open mindedness. But they've stopped being open minded, i con fessir problem, and that is getting worse and worse.

Harvey Mansfield is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Government at Harvard University and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. One of the old guard of American conservative thought, he has taught at Harvard since 1962, and counts among his former students Andrew Sullivan, Francis Fukuyama, and Bill Kristol.

In this week’s conversation, Harvey Mansfield and Yascha Mounk discuss the nature of American liberalism, Donald Trump’s effect on conservatism, and Alexis de Tocqueville’s enduring relevance.

This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

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