--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The institutionalization of the radical…" description: "\"“The institutionalization of the radical ethos in the academy has brought with it not only an increasing politicization of the humanities, but also an ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/roger-kimball-30512_critical-theory_the-institutionalization-of-the-radical_2166759.jpg" --- # The institutionalization of the radical ethos in the… ![“The institutionalization of the radical ethos in the academy has brought with it not only an increasing politicization of the humanities, but also an increasing ignorance of the humanistic legacy. Instead of reading the great works of the past, students watch movies, pronounce on the depredations…” quote by Roger Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/roger-kimball-30512_critical-theory_the-institutionalization-of-the-radical_2166759.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/roger-kimball-30512_critical-theory_the-institutionalization-of-the-radical_2166759.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/roger-kimball-30512_critical-theory_the-institutionalization-of-the-radical_2166759.jpg) > ““The institutionalization of the radical ethos in the academy has brought with it not only an increasing politicization of the humanities, but also an increasing ignorance of the humanistic legacy. Instead of reading the great works of the past, students watch movies, pronounce on the depredations of patriarchal society, or peruse second- or third-rate works dear to their ideological cohort; instead of reading widely among primary texts, they absorb abstruse commentaries on commentaries, resorting to primary texts only to furnish illustrations for their pet critical "theory." Since many older professors have themselves been the beneficiaries of the kind of traditional education they have rejected and are denying their students, it is the students who are the real losers in this fiasco.”” [Roger Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-kimball/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote criticizes how academia’s focus on political ideology and theory has displaced traditional humanistic study, leading to shallow engagement with culture and loss of deep knowledge. **In simple terms:** Academia now values ideology over classic learning, harming students. Key Takeaway Encourage balanced curricula that honor both classic texts and critical theory. Themes education humanities politics culture critical theory Mood critical concerned reflective Type analysis commentary opinion When to use this quote - University courses - high school curricula - public lectures - reading groups Key Concepts canonical literature ideological bias pedagogy intellectual diversity Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions integrate classic works with modern perspectives? - What benefits arise from reading primary texts? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on ideology may stifle creativity and critical thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Critical theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critical-theory/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Humanities Increasing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanities-increasing-4621802/) [Ignorance Humanistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance-humanistic-4621803/) [Institutionalization Radical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutionalization-radical-4621801/) [Older Professors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older-professors-845710/) [Patriarchal society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriarchal-society/) [Politicization Humanities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politicization-humanities-4621800/) [Teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachers/) [Traditional education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traditional-education/) ## Related quotes > [I mean, when I got to Brown, the place was riven, because you had older professors who were basically new critics and had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-mean-when-i-got-to-brown-the-place-was-riven-because-you-had-older/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [There is no such thing as educational value in the abstract. 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The continent we inhabit is to be physic andfood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-land-is-the-appointed-remedy-for-whatever-is-false-and-fantastic/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“What is the school like? First, let me set the stage. The school enrolls students from the age of 4 up. No one is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-l-ackoff/what-is-the-school-like-first-let-me-set-the-stage-the-school-enrolls/) [Russell L. Ackoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-l-ackoff/) ## More by Roger Kimball > [“History,” Bagehot wrote, “is strewn with the wrecks of nations which have gained a little progressiveness at the cost of a great deal of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-kimball/history-bagehot-wrote-is-strewn-with-the-wrecks-of-nations-which-have/) [Roger Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-kimball/) > [Intelligence, like fire, is a power that is neither good nor bad in itself but rather takes its virtue, its moral coloring, from its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-kimball/intelligence-like-fire-is-a-power-that-is-neither-good-nor-bad-in/) [Roger Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-kimball/) > [“The true democrat wishes to share the great works of culture with all who are able to appreciate them; the egalitarian, recognizing that genuine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-kimball/the-true-democrat-wishes-to-share-the-great-works-of-culture-with-all/) [Roger Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-kimball/) > [“And let’s not forget “Dane-Geld”: It is always a temptation to a rich and lazy nation, To puff and look important and to say:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-kimball/and-let-s-not-forget-dane-geld-it-is-always-a-temptation-to-a-rich/) [Roger Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-kimball/) > [“(Some people regard the astonishing collapse of manners and civility in our society as a superficial event. 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But Lubin, the Charlotte C.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-kimball/it-is-often-said-that-great-works-of-art-are-inexhaustible-capable-as/) [Roger Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-kimball/) > [Our complexity is much more likely to lead us astray than any simplicity we may follow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-kimball/our-complexity-is-much-more-likely-to-lead-us-astray-than-any/) [Roger Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-kimball/) > [“Beauty is a fragile and vulnerable quality, and moreover one that is difficult to achieve; ugliness, by contrast, is unbreakable and invulnerable, and very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-kimball/beauty-is-a-fragile-and-vulnerable-quality-and-moreover-one-that-is/) [Roger Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-kimball/) > [Without an allegiance to beauty, art degenerates into a caricature of itself. 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Instead of reading the great works of the past, students watch movies, pronounce on the depredations of patriarchal society, or peruse second- or third-rate works dear to their ideological cohort; instead of reading widely among primary texts, they absorb abstruse commentaries on commentaries, resorting to primary texts only to furnish illustrations for their pet critical \"theory.\" Since many older professors have themselves been the beneficiaries of the kind of traditional education they have rejected and are denying their students, it is the students who are the real losers in this fiasco.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roger Kimball" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-kimball/the-institutionalization-of-the-radical-ethos-in-the-academy-has/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Critical theory" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-kimball/the-institutionalization-of-the-radical-ethos-in-the-academy-has/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/roger-kimball-30512_critical-theory_the-institutionalization-of-the-radical_2166759.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/roger-kimball-30512_critical-theory_the-institutionalization-of-the-radical_2166759.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/roger-kimball-30512_critical-theory_the-institutionalization-of-the-radical_2166759.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The institutionalization of the radical ethos in the academy has brought with it not only an increasing…” — Roger Kimball", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Roger Kimball", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-kimball/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The institutionalization of the radical ethos...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-kimball/the-institutionalization-of-the-radical-ethos-in-the-academy-has/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-kimball/the-institutionalization-of-the-radical-ethos-in-the-academy-has/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```