intellectualism

Intellectualism refers to a set of attitudes and traditions that privilege reason, critical thinking, and scholarly inquiry as primary means of understanding the world. The term can denote a philosophical stance—such as the belief that truth is knowable through rational reflection and evidence—as well as a cultural tendency toward the life of the mind, and a professional vocation among academics and writers.

Historically, intellectualism has roots in classical rationalism and the Enlightenment, where reason was seen as a path to knowledge and human progress. In moral philosophy it is often discussed as moral intellectualism, the view that many moral judgments can be grasped by reason. In cultural and political discourse, intellectualism is sometimes used to describe a society characterized by education, critique, and public deliberation, but it is also used pejoratively to suggest detachment from practical concerns or elitism.

In contemporary discourse, intellectualism interacts with movements for anti-intellectualism, the rise of public intellectuals, and the spread of information online. Advocates emphasize the value of education, evidence-based reasoning, and secular, cross-disciplinary approaches. Critics worry about elitism, dogmatism, or a disconnect from everyday lived experience, and warn against overemphasis on theory at the expense of pragmatic solutions.

Intellectualism is linked to related concepts such as rationalism, epistemology, humanism, secularism, and liberalism, while often distinguished from generic intelligence and from anti-intellectualism. See also: rationalism, epistemology, humanism, secularism, liberalism, anti-intellectualism, public intellectuals.