Anyone Listening?

Within intellectual circles there seems to be a universal concern that the public is less and less interested, and possibly even opposed to the influence of the public intellectual. The feeling that the masses are barely listening to our thoughtful musings is not a comforting one, nor is it one that seems to have any easy explanations or solutions. After being thrown into a mode of existential crisis when faced with the potential value of intellectual commentary within the broader scope of modern society many begin to point fingers at those sitting around them. As discussed in this post by Stephen Mack, many think that there is a is a decline in the quality of intellectual work. If the public is not listening to the intellectuals, then the problem must lie in the quality of the work. When questions of influence are the ones of main concern, Stephen Mack puts it very well when he says, "The measure of public intellectual work is not whether the people are listening, but whether they’re hearing things worth talking about."

An example. Lawrence Lessing is a prominent proponent of copyrightlaw reform, and more recently an active ouster of political corruption. He founded theCreative Commons, a radical institution which is working, with some success, in changing the very nature of intellectual property using the advent of the internet. He has called for major reform of copyright laws, and spearheaded the free culture movement. Yet, those not directly concerned with issues of intellectual property in the digital age have probably never heard of any of his accomplishments, or even of the man himself. Despite this he is undoubtedly a prominent public intellectual.

They may not be listening to The lessons of Lawrence Lessing, but they are hearing the noise. While most may not be aware of the specifics of intellectual property rights, and the implications of the internet upon them, you wold be hard pressed to find someone who does not know about DRM protection on audio files. It would be even harder to find someone unaware of the major problems involved with illegal file sharing, and it would be even harder still to find someone with no opinion on the issue at all. While they are not aware of the works of specific intellectuals, through some bizarre filter of media, the things discussed amongst the intellectuals does reach their ears. Whether or not it has the same affect upon the public that is has in the past, or if the quality of the work has declined, is one of maddening subjectivity.