Quick Review: Representations of the Intellectual by Edward Said

In Representations of the Intellectual Edward Said argues the fundamental characteristic of the intellectual is independence of thought and action which includes, inevitably, finding oneself in conflict and opposition to the hegemonic institutions of a society, whether they be political, economic, religious, or even social. Said’s vision of the place of the intellectual reminds me of a passage from James Baldwin’s lecture “A Talk to Teachers”, published in 1963 in which he emphasizes, “one of the paradoxes of education [is] that precisely at the point when you begin to develop a conscience, you must find yourself at war with your society. It is your responsibility to change society if you think of yourself as an educated person.” Although Baldwin is addressing his exhortation to a universal audience of educated citizens and not a more limited and defined group called “intellectuals” the two find common ground in their call for the use of knowledge to disrupt and resist the status quo. 

 As a high school educator, this definition of the role of the intellectual feels particularly important. The world of public education is becoming increasingly bureaucratic, driven by testing and data minimally connected to the skills, knowledge, and consciousness of a thoughtful, critical, empowered participant in our society. On top of this, so many of our young people, especially low income students of color, find themselves in a society that has declared war on them before their birth. It is our responsibility as educators who work with and stand alongside these youth to help them develop as intellectuals. For, as Said asserts, to be an intellectual is to possess the tools, the awareness, the knowledge, and the independence that puts one in the position of advancing the cause of freedom and justice.