12/5/21

Allan Bloom's "The Closing of the American Mind" is perhaps the first, best, and most enduring work to emerge from the "traditionalist" side of the "campus wars" of the 1980s. "Tenured Radicals" is part of smattering of follow up works that sing a similar tune on matters academic. Although almost twenty years old, it remains worthwhile reading for those observing or taking part in the larger cultural battles.

Shorter, more incisive, and more deliberately focused than "The Closing...", "Tenured Radicals" sets its sights on the failings of contemporary literary critics and the humanities departments that house them. In witty, occasionally laugh out loud prose Kimball clearly demonstrates the extent to which obscurantist continental philosophy (from Structuralism to Derrida), overt political radicalism, interest group politics, and increased specialization/professionalization colluded and collided in a way that led humanists and humanities departments to jettison nearly all of their traditional prerogatives and aspirations.

At this point the story line is hackneyed and perhaps overblown (although mostly true), so, despite the textual evidence Kimball provides to support his critique, the reason this book is still of interest is not that it argues well for true conclusions (although it often does). Rather, "Tenured Radicals" retains a space in this literature because it is funny and sarcastic in a way that makes it fun to read for those already inclined to agree with Kimball's assessment of the contemporary humanities department.

Much of the argumentation consists of Kimball laying out a paragraph from some latter day sophist and then writing "are you serious....like, for real?" or some clever variation thereon. In many ways this seems to me to be the most effective strategy for dealing with the Derrida acolytes. One wonders how else to argue with those who deny modus ponens and the transitivity of identity. Further, the rather personal attack on Stanley Fish is, in my estimation, a great bonus. Perhaps Kimball engages in a bit of straw-manning and a bit of ad hominem, but I tend to think such practices are allowable (within reason) in a polemic. "Tenured Radicals" is very much a polemic but it's composed well and retains a great sense of humor. For this reason, interested culture warriors may still get a kick out of it and, even if the narrative is predictable, may absorb a few new facts about the obscurantist opposition. ( )