<p>Poeme:</p>
<p>So the old view was that “intellectualism” meant devoting oneself to a life of academia (i.e. getting a PhD or, perhaps, becoming a wonk). Certainly, budding jurists or doctors can be intellectual but, unless they were devoting themselves to academia (i.e. an MD/PHD or a JD/PHD), they wouldn’t be considered “true” intellectuals. </p>
<p>At least, that’s how the cookie crumbled more than a decade ago when I was at a highly academic university. Again, I think of “intellectual” as being another way of saying “PhD-fetishizing.” </p>
<p>From my background, it was a pretty narrow definition. In many ways, it’s good that most schools (my alma mater included) are moving away from this type of thinking.</p>