The Good Fight

William Deresiewicz on the “Excellent Sheep” of the American Elite

May 6, 2023

01:00:29

Episode guests

William Deresiewicz

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

The Rise of Neoliberalism

00:39

The Suppressed Qualities in Pursuit of Excellence

00:53

Improving state of world by funding public education

01:25

The Meritocracy and the Liberal Elite

03:11

Introduction

3min

The Left TikTok and the World's Biggest Police State

3min

The Meritocracy and the Liberal Elite

3min

The Importance of Self-Deception in the American Elite

3min

The Liberal Elite and the Financial Elite

5min

The Importance of the Avant-Garde

4min

The Role of Elites in the Development of the Country

3min

The Importance of Excellence in the Elite Elite

5min

The Disillusionment of the French Elite

4min

10.

The Hope for the American University

1min

11.

The Importance of Academic Pursuit in College

5min

12.

The End of Loneliness

4min

13.

The Death of the Artist

4min

14.

The Rise of Neoliberalism

4min

15.

How to Reconquer a Space for Creativity and Play

6min

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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Podcast production by John Taylor Williams, and Brendan Ruberry

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