A clear definition of public intellectualism isn’t easy to come by today. Much of the current conversation on public intellectuals makes it seem like thought leadership is all about joining an exclusive club—getting on an “A list” of the“Top 20”or“前100名”public intellectuals of our time. As our team of writing experts recently researched and created a15 Day Reading List on Public Intellectuals, we found that most thought pieces on the topic are really judgments of who is and who is not a public intellectual. And while we all need intellectual heroes, the list-building approach to public intellectualism has got it all wrong.

If all we do is measure the influence and status of the world’s most renowned thought leaders, we miss the critically important work of fostering everyday habits of knowledge-making and knowledge-sharing within ourselves and our communities. All this talk about who’s on or off the list merely distracts us from the true definition of what public intellectualism is: the shared societal pursuit of knowledge.

So what is the answer to the question, “Who is a public intellectual?” It does the public far less good to define a public intellectual based on their prestige, audience size, media attention, social influence, or even “genuine” regard for the unencumbered pursuit of knowledge (there’s truly no action un-impacted or un-influenced by power structures, after all–even if some pursuits of thought leadership are more transparent and authentic than others). Instead, we define public intellectuals as individuals in pursuit of knowledge-making and知识共享–those with an irrepressible belief in the importance of fact-finding, researching, sharing insights, and hearing diverse perspectives of both decision-makers and those impacted by them.

What is Public Intellectualism and How Do We Pursue It?

公共知识产权大于任何一个公共知识分子甚至是公共知识分子的洗衣名单。人们对洞察力的较大运动。这是我们对公共知识分子的定义：

为什么这个公共知识分子的观点比目前的列表建设方法更加富有成效？将公共知识分子定义为承诺将知识分享的人，以及作为一个集体运动的公共知识分子，是赋予的。This definition equips all of us–experts and leaders as well as members of the general public–to learn, teach, investigate, share, debate, negotiate and realize truths that impact the decisions we make.通过这种方式，公共知识产权促进了公众的善行，并致力于公众的利益和福祉。知识和智力是非竞争，非排他性的公共产品。如果是这种情况，我们的焦点需要符合我们如何加强我们个人和专业生活中的公共知识产权习惯。

The public isready, capable, and deserving of receiving and making knowledge。So let’s dive into what an age of public intellectualism might look like.

公共知识产权的8个公理

Don’t be scared away by the word “axiom.” We could’ve used countless other terms, such as habits, tenets, pillars, or principles to depict the guidance we’re about to offer. What you are about to explore are the key foundations that must be present in a society pursuing public intellectualism. These are both big picture heuristics as well as everyday practices you can implement to check whether you, your colleagues, and your communities are adding knowledge to the world in a way that promotes public good. We chose to depict the following principles of public intellectual life as axioms because of the term’s historic roots in Ancient Greece, where the foundational art of rhetoric was formed. From the Greek term axios, meaning to “deem worthy” and “be in balance,” axioms are statements that all hearers agree to be true; they are foundational premises and starting points for further reasoning.

The following eight axioms of public intellectualism form the foundation of a thriving intellectual life. In order to make and share knowledge, we must identify which aspects of intellection are worthy of our focus and energy.

To effectively promote public intellectualism, knowledge must be: 1) accessible; 2) translatable; 3) interdisciplinary; 4) collaborative; 5) ethical; 6) authentic; 7) entertaining; and 8) factual.Public intellectuals live out these axioms in their knowledge-making practices.

Let’s dive into each of these axioms of pubic intellectualism:

知识应该可以访问

考虑所有我们大多数人都可以在这些日子里掌握一下的所有东西。我们可以访问Word处理软件并发布我们写的内容。我们可以访问社交媒体平台并自由传播我们发布的内容。我们可以访问当地新闻，国家新闻，国际新闻，朋友，陌生人，巨魔和机器人的意见。然而，学术，同伴审查的知识经常被限制在大学图书馆和付费访问数据库。行业专家的见解受到知识产权面纱的保护。从人们被动地消耗信息到一个文化的文化转变read, write, and repurposewhat has been written, and then discuss, requires access to the intellectual material that will build a more well-informed public. And keeping in mind the diverse individuals who make up the public, accessibility also means information-sharing that promotes the full inclusion of all members of society, no matter their socioeconomic status, literacy level, race, identity or失能。

知识应该是可翻译的

The public deserves information that can be understood and put into practical use. Otherwise, all the access in the world is pointless. Making information translatable means communicating the information itself while always, always being clear about为什么重要。Cornel West doesn’t just define neoliberalism. Hemakes the casefor why discussions about neoliberalism matter right now. Translatable also means, simply, writing like a human who is writing to other humans. Without translatability, you get jargon or “academese.”As Jill Lepore puts it:“a great, heaping mountain of exquisite knowledge surrounded by a vast moat of dreadful prose.” Public intellectualism demands we say things in ways all people can understand.

知识应该是跨学科的

Creative prompts that promise success and innovation via “thinking outside the box”都很好,但真正的挑战creative problem-solving means creating bridges across diverse areas of expertise. Today’s problems are just too complex to understand and solve in siphoned-off specialty silos. Automation. Globalism. Digital literacy. Income distribution. Nuclear non-proliferation. Climate change. We need to value contributions across fields, including thealways-under-assault humanities。毕竟，这些领域经常被视为不同的伙伴，做好良好的合作伙伴。作为一个聪明的朋友，一旦看着侏罗纪公园的同时：“科学就会教你如何从灭绝带来恐龙。人文会提醒你可以并不总是意味着应该, and let’s just all steer clear of dino eggs, shall we?”

Knowledge should be collaborative

Industry and academic work require testing ideas against the theories, the data, and the wisdom of the thinkers who have built and maintain their businesses and research programs. Academic publishing requires peer-review on any research that’s going into print. In this sense, it is always collaborative. The public deserves this same support. This may begin with更好地访问研究, but should continue with promoting collaborations across stakeholders who are making decisions that will affect the public. Which individuals, groups, and entities will have the most valuable insights to share? They deserve a seat at the table.

Knowledge should be ethical

What is the motive that drives the choice to share an information tidbit or a perspective? C. Wright Mills’ 1945 pronouncement serves as a reminder to consider the ethical concerns impacting knowledge-sharing today: “Between the intellectual and his potential public stand technical, economic, and social structures which are owned and operated by others.” Public intellectuals sometimes receive flak for using their celebrity status牛肉或利润从口语中发言。毕竟，额外的CV线是学术界的货币。它可以影响促销和任期决策。实际上，公司，组织，社区 - 私人和公共设施的制约因素都有自己的优先事项，影响我们所做的工作。再次，没有任何活动从电力结构中离来。对道德的承诺意味着不断质疑推动我们工作并询问是否最终增加公众的动机。

Knowledge should be authentic

真实性很难定义，但是当我们看到它时都知道它。这是一个近堂兄的伦理，而是更善良的相对。真实性是公共知识产权的基础。想想詹姆斯·鲍德温在美国的经验中对美国的种族主义发表讲话on the Dick Cavett show（是的，这是一个值得3分钟的手表）。Baldwin的透视是真实的，因为它涉及情绪风险。在谈到谈论变化性时，真实的消息得分最高。在基本一级，他们回答了所以呢？question by just telling the truth.

知识应该是娱乐

Consider the argument that our foremost intellectuals today may not be intellectuals in the traditional sense at all.They may be comedians.Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Trevor Noah. They’re always tackling politics, but they make the news accessible through comic delivery. The choice to point out the absurd in an era of alt-facts and truthiness may be just what the public needs at this particular moment to make current events more digestible. This sensitivity to what tone fits what context is what the public deserves across venues.

知识应该是事实

经常，我们被告知我们在信息之海上被唤醒。添加到海上一个更新的比喻扭曲：不仅我们在信息之海上被唤醒;现在我们在海上避开了mis信息，归功于在线信息共享。显然，我们需要一个锚点和集体协议，以对“alt事实”的死亡打击。虽然大学正在优先考虑教学the digital literacy skills that help us separate fact from fiction（并从假装成为事实的意见），即使 - 尤其是那些事实时，该任务也需要集体承诺 - 尤其是这些事实与我们的个人景观不一致。

So Why is it Critical to Pursue an Age of Public Intellectualism?

在信息的海洋中,我们已经开发了一个奇怪的再保险lationship with the concept of the public intellectual. By holding celebrities up as our intellectual heroes, we give them all the responsibility for action. But a new view of public intellectualism–one grounded in the shared pursuit of knowledge–empowers us all to call ourselves public intellectuals. To embody the axioms of intellectual work. To pursue public understanding, and as a result, promote public good. As we aim for a society in pursuit of knowledge, we remember that we are standing on the shoulders of giants. We have proof of success from intellectuals who have proven what it means to “communicate the work of thinking” to the public. Their leadership should encourage all of us to join in the movement. Because in the current divisive era defined by the专业的死亡现在，赋予公众具有知识的时刻。