William Bourton on the return of intellectuals in politics

Two Belgian university professors, Philippe Van Parijs and Paul De Grauwe, announced last weekend the establishment of a think-tank which is to reflect on the future of institutions in the country. William Bourton writes in the daily Le Soir on the role of intellectuals in political life. "How can you reconcile the agenda of intellectuals, whose work is long-term, with the schedules of politicians? Politicians need feedback within four years, for them there's no looking past the next elections. ... The intellectuals were omnipresent in the political conflicts of the 1960s and 70s, lending their voices and support to various political currents. But after that they largely withdrew into their ivory towers. Why? Firstly, because they were often wrong. Just because you're a master of phenomenology it doesn't mean you'll be any good at applied politics. Secondly, the ideological turnabout at the end of the 70s - the liberal counteroffensive - weakened the social movements. Without this social lubricant, the intellectuals once more retreated to their stronghold, the university. The clearest form of this was seen in the professors' retreat into specialisation. ... Philippe Van Parijs and Paul De Grauwe do not appear to be denying this function. They simply no longer want to wait for someone to come knocking at their door, and have started surrounding themselves with colleagues from other disciplines."

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