Who are the Intellectuals?

As Noam Chomsky stated in his opening sentence to his paper, The Responsibility of Intellectuals, ‘we often cannot see what is happening before our eyes’. (Chomsky, 41) Noddings further explained in his paper, Moral Education in an Age of Globalization, that with care theory and moral education ‘confirmation should be welcome at personal, political and global levels. (Noddings, 395) Afterall how can we as educators or our students, bring ‘value’ into our innovative ideas by being more observant and recognizing what is happening around us?

As Chomsky suggests, what is the big picture and what is our role in it? We all have a part to observe and inform our opinions, which to a certain level informs our knowledge of the world. In addition to this, what we practice is virtually the opposite of what elementary moral values dictate. (Chomsky, 44) In this regard, I would disagree with Chomsky because if as educators we are aware of our moral values and practice them in action and philosophy then this statement would nullify. Whereas, if we did not then I see how this could be true. The “responsibilities of intellectuals” is one worth examining, but who are the intellectuals that would fulfill those responsibilities? Who defines the term ‘privileged’? From what I took away from Chomsky’s paper, it’s those who have the power that implement action. Unfortunate but also true, I do see this being an obstacle. However, what if we as teachers saw ourselves as those who are the ones that possess this ‘privilege’ rather than those in power?

I feel as educators we underestimate ourselves in the impact that we can leave in the thought process we facilitate in our students. If we see teaching only as the transmission of knowledge, and learning as the acquisition of knowledge - then yes we are doing an injustice to the profession.