America an anti-intellectual society?

Question

While most Americans can readily name a variety of famous actors and actresses, athletes, and celebrity CEOs, few can name a famous poet, philosopher, or educator. Despite being the most widely read nation on earth, is America an anti-intellectual society? If so, why

Answer 1

I'm from the old school, where we learned these things.  There was less outside activity and such to tempt us away from our studies;  like TV, Online games, videos, cell phones, etc.  Yes we had TV and listened to music and played, but only after our studies!

Answer 2

There was a book called "Anti-Intellectualism in American Life." I feel, like the author, that there is a "strain" of anti-intellectualism in American life, and it existed long before television or Beavis & Butthead. In the past, this anti-intellectualism took the form of - "I don't care what the physicists say, this is God's country and God's creation!"; or, "I don't care what science says, blacks are inferior"; or "I don't believe in the Eastern, Ivy League, liberal Establishment."  This form of anti-intellectualism continues today, and is very apparent if you peruse Yahoo! Answers.

On the other hand, Americans train other countries, have produced many geniuses, have contributed quite a bit of intellectual property, etc. We are not dumb. We are just an advanced society that happens to have an anti-intellectual strain as well. Anti-intellectualism has resulted in backwards-thinking violence (yin) as well as innovation (yang).

I guess this is one area where it all balances out.

Answer 3

Sadly, many Americans can't even name which Americans won nobel Prizes last year. but that's not so bad. in other countries, people know their Nobel prize winners by name, but there aren't many of them. In America, there are so many, so i guess it's difficult to remember them all. so i wouldn't call it anti-intellectual, because it produces so many Nobel prize winners. why they are not popular celebrities, i don't know.

Answer 4

Erich kästner???? I am american!