I agree with Chomsky's definition [1]: intellectual is a person who tries to tal... | Hacker News

Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit

login

badpun on Oct 30, 2023 | parent | context | favorite | on: The death of a public intellectual

I agree with Chomsky's definition [1]: intellectual is a person who tries to talk intelligently in public about affairs that are relevant to the general public. Being a top scentist or a top sellng author does not neccessarily make you an intellectual.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xf5H00ACws&t=2527s

Jensson on Oct 30, 2023 [–]

> tries to talk intelligently

How would you define this though? People couldn't even agree whether gpt-3 talks intelligently or not.

badpun on Oct 30, 2023 | [–]

The emphasis is on "tries", i.e. genuinely puts a mental effort (including research etc.) into forming an opinion.

Consider applying for YC's Spring batch! Applications are open till Feb 11.
Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact