19th century Quote by Noam Chomsky
![“That intellectuals, including academics, would become a "new class" of technocrats, claiming the name of science while cooperating with the powerful, was predicted by [Mikhail] Bakunin in the early days of the formation of the modern intelligentsia in the 19th century.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/957/noam-chomsky-42_19th-century_that-intellectuals-including-academics-w_566786.jpg)
“That intellectuals, including academics, would become a "new class" of technocrats, claiming the name of science while cooperating with the powerful, was predicted by [Mikhail] Bakunin in the early days of the formation of the modern intelligentsia in the 19th century.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Historical Essays on the French Revolution, 1845
Intellectuals may form a privileged technocratic class that allies with power while claiming scientific neutrality.
In simple terms: Scientists can become a privileged class aligned with power.
Key Takeaway
Beware of elite technocrats masquerading as neutral experts.
Themes
elitism
power
science
class
intellectuals
Mood
skeptical
critical
cautious
Type
analytical
political
historical
When to use this quote
- policy advising
- academic research
- government consulting
- media commentary
Key Concepts
technocracy
cooptation
class formation
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we distinguish genuine expertise from coopted technocracy?
- What safeguards can prevent elite capture of science?
A Different Perspective
Such groups may still retain genuine expertise despite cooptation.
![“Isaiah Berlin described the intellectuals of [Mikhail] Bakunin's "Red bureaucracy" as a "secular priesthood.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f94/noam-chomsky-42_berlin_isaiah-berlin-described-the-intellectual_1617519.jpg)
![“[Mikhail Bakunin] expectations were generally confirmed, including his prediction that some would seek to gain state power on the backs of popular revolution, then constructing a "Red bureaucracy" that would be one of the worst tyrannies in history, while others would recognize that power lies…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4d9/noam-chomsky-42_becoming_mikhail-bakunin-expectations-were-genera_1290379.jpg)
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
![“. . . Luddites were those frenzied traditionalists of the early 19th century who toured [England] wrecking new weaving machines on the theory that if they were destroyed . . . old jobs and old ways of life could be preserved . . . At certain times in his life each man is tempted to become a…” quote by James A. Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/182/james-a-michener-1627_19th-century_luddites-were-those-frenzied-traditional_76909.jpg)
