Intellectual Populism: Democracy, Inquiry, and the People
Intellectual Populism: Democracy, Inquiry, and the People
by Paul Stob
Michigan State University Press, 2020 Paper: 978-1-61186-360-4 | eISBN: 978-1-62895-397-8 Library of Congress Classification JC423.S857 2020 Dewey Decimal Classification 320.56620973
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
ABOUT THIS BOOK
In response to denunciations of populism as undemocratic and anti-intellectual, Intellectual Populism argues that populism has contributed to a distinct and democratic intellectual tradition in which ordinary people assume leading roles in the pursuit of knowledge. Focusing on the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, the decades that saw the birth of populism in the United States, this book uses case studies of certain intellectual figures to trace the key rhetorical appeals that proved capable of resisting the status quo and building alternative communities of inquiry. As this book shows, Robert Ingersoll (1833–1899), Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910), Thomas Davidson (1840–1900), Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), and Zitkála-Šá (1876–1938) deployed populist rhetoric to rally ordinary people as thinkers in new intellectual efforts. Through these case studies, Intellectual Populism demonstrates how orators and advocates can channel the frustrations and energies of the American people toward productive, democratic, intellectual ends.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
PAUL STOB is Associate Professor and Chair of Communication Studies at Vanderbilt University.
REVIEWS
“Building on his previous work on William James, Paul Stob identifies ‘intellectual populism’ as an important element of American political culture. He provides valuable insight into both our political history and our present moment, contributing to conversations on deliberative democracy, education, and the connections between them and civic democracy. This book will interest historians, rhetoricians, political scientists, and anyone invested in a healthy democracy.”
—MARY E. STUCKEY, Professor, Communication Arts and Sciences, Penn State University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1. Robert Ingersoll’s Religious Resistance
Chapter 2. Mary Baker Eddy’s Divine Healing Science
Chapter 3. Thomas Davidson’s Push for Philosophical Community
Chapter 4. Booker T. Washington’s Reclamation of Work