A lively and entertaining cultural history of an extremely bothersome intellectual vice.

Intellectuals have long been a source of contempt and annoyance, even outright hostility. Many educated people have interpreted this hostility as a badge of honor, a sign of jealousy, or a form of resistance to uncomfortable truths. On Pedantry offers a completely different perspective, revealing how the excessive use of knowledge has been a vice in Western culture since the days of Socrates.

Transporting readers from the academies of ancient Greece to the cultural wars of modern times, Arnold Viser explains why pretentious and overly detailed knowledge has irritated us, reconstructing vivid images of some of the most irritating intellectuals ever— from cunning sophists and insisting snake-oil salesmen to hyper-critical theologians, dust-covered archaeologists, and professors who know it all. He shows how criticisms of childish behavior were often more about conduct than ideas, and demonstrates how childishness served as a weapon in the ongoing struggle for ideas, social standing, political power, and faith.

Focusing attention away from the self-centered virtues of the educated towards their less flattering vice, Viser makes a bold and provocative contribution to the history of Western thought. Drawing on a rich variety of sources—from satire and comedy to essays, sermons, and films—On Pedantry critically illuminates why anti-authoritarian views have regained ground today and is an essential read in an era of rising populism worldwide.

Pages: 344, Year of Publication: 0301, Dimensions: 14x14cm