The Intellectual and Power - Edward Said

The book contains an introduction and six chapters listed under these titles: Images representing the intellectual, Exclusion of nations and traditions, Exile of intellectuals (expatriates and marginalized), Professionals and amateurs, Telling the truth to power, and Masters of constant betrayal. The author presents the idea of the book in the form of an important question: What is the relationship between the intellectual and power? The power here refers to its general form, whether it is state power, societal power, ideological power, money, or influence. The author clarified that he has commonly referred to the class of intellectuals linguistically as "intelligentsia," and this term has deepened in socialist thought to include thinkers, educated people, and professionals, distinguishing them from craftsmen, who are the owners of manual trades. In the book's introduction, Dr. Edward Said mentions that the material of the book was originally lectures he delivered to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in the series known as "Reith Lectures," a series inaugurated by the British philosopher Bertrand Russell in 1948, in which leading thinkers in the West participated. Therefore, the author says he felt great pride when the BBC offered him the opportunity to present the Reith Lectures in 1993. The book "The Intellectual and Power" by Edward Said, translated by Mohamed Anani.