Know Your Enemy Unraveling Allan Bloom and Saul Bellow
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Jun 21, 2021 Dive into the complex friendship between Allan Bloom and Saul Bellow, exploring Bellow's novel 'Ravelstein' and Bloom's impact on modern education. Discover Bloom's warning against modern relativism and his provocative critiques of society. The discussion touches on their interdisciplinary ties at the University of Chicago, the allure of eros in intellectual life, and the contradictions of luxury, friendship, and legacy. The hosts also address the controversies surrounding Bloom's views and the intricacies of their shared Jewish identity.
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Universities Must Tutor Toward Truth
- Allan Bloom's Closing of the American Mind argues universities fail by promoting relativism and empty toleration instead of tutoring students toward truth.
- Bloom believes students need strong prejudices as starting points to experience true intellectual liberation.
Eros As Pedagogical Engine
- Bloom sees relativism and multiculturalism as hollowing out students' capacity to pursue capital-T truth.
- He argues education should convert erotic longings into serious philosophical inquiry.
Small Elites, Big Political Effects
- Straussians aim to train a small elite to preserve and apply perennial ideas within regimes.
- Bloom saw elite tutoring as indirectly sustaining liberal democracy by shaping influential actors.
