Originally published on September 11, 2015 (Episode 29)
Introduction
What is intellectual history, and why does it matter? Tim Lacy joins Al Zambone to explain this distinctive sub-discipline of historical study. Together they trace its development, its key debates, and its present state.
The conversation touches on the history of American intellectual life, the meaning of “the Great Books” project, and the place of intellectual history within the broader historical profession.
About the Guest
Tim Lacy is the author of The Dream of a Democratic Culture: Mortimer Adler and the Great Books Idea (Palgrave, 2013). He is also one of the founders of the Society for U.S. Intellectual History.
For Further Investigation
Tim Lacy, The Dream of a Democratic Culture: Mortimer Adler and the Great Books Idea (Palgrave, 2013)
David Hollinger & Charles Capper, eds., The American Intellectual Tradition, 2 vols., (OUP, 2015), 7th edition
A Reading List in American Intellectual History (on Goodreads, from the Society for US Intellectual History)
Listen & Discuss
How does intellectual history differ from other kinds of history? Should historians still pay attention to the history of ideas in an age dominated by social and cultural approaches? Add your perspective in the comments, and share this episode with friends who love ideas and books.
