Intellectual liberation: public intellectuals in South Africa

Abstract

Who is an intellectual? More importantly, who and what constitutes a public intellectual? And are such distinctions necessary given South Africa's context and our international relationships? What constitutes the public good, and is the public intellectual a force for good? Most people incorrectly assume that intellectuals, as free-roving pursuers of knowledge, are developed only in universities and research councils. Such myths need to be debunked and a wider conception of the "public intellectual" introduced; one that encompasses multiple meanings and includes those who work on behalf of the public and for the public good because, as we hope to show in this volume, such "intellectuals" pursue political freedom and social justice.