Image depicts a piece pastry, hot beverage and flower pot near the window of a coffee shop.
Ngoc Diep (Alice)

Richard Hofstadter first coined the term “anti-intellectualism” in his book Anti-Intellectualism in American Life (1963) in 1963. The Oxford English Dictionary defines “anti-intellectualism” as “opposition or hostility to intellectuals, intellectual pursuits, or intellectual reasoning; the fact or quality of being anti-intellectual.” 

Believe it or not, we live in an anti-intellectual world. As a student, I struggle, and I know that you do, too.

As an international student, I have experienced education around the world, from Vietnam to the United States, Greece to Spain, and finally, Oxford. Unfortunately, I must admit that the landscape for students, scholars, scientists, professors, and intellectuals seems increasingly grim. The accessibility of education has plummeted, and opportunities for student employment have declined. 

In Vietnam, where teaching is considered one of the most respectable careers, the prospect of a career as a teacher is rapidly losing its appeal as higher education has grown prohibitively expensive. Teaching University, which used to be free, no longer offers sufficient scholarships and funding for prospective teachers. Similarly, in the United States, education has become a privilege. To gain a scholarship to attend university, you must be either extremely poor or highly talented. Otherwise, you must pay in full—around 30,000 dollars in-state or 70,000-90,000 out-of-state (including fees, rooms, and boards). 

Even our study at Oxford University now constitutes a privilege: the tuition is nearly £10,000 per year for UK residents and £30,000 or more for overseas students, excluding dorm, room, board, and meals. Worse still, the annual rate is set to increase in 2025. 

President Trump’s pledge to abolish the Department of Education in his recent ‘checklist,’ regardless of its actual plausibility, illustrates the increasing prevalence of anti-intellectualism within popular discourse. In particular, the rising classification of arts-based courses as ‘easy majors’ or ‘mickey-mouse degrees’ highlights the growing inability of societies to recognise the innate value of the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. 

In light of these developments, I am not simply confused but furious. What has happened to the world? More specifically, what has happened to the society that promotes study and intellectualism as worthy endeavours?

A few years ago, I watched the sci-fi movie Idiocracy (2006). The movie centres on a world in which dysgenic reproduction (where less intelligent individuals procreate faster than their brighter counterparts) has created an intellectually inept society by the year 2505. The decline in intelligence is so drastic that when the protagonist, Joe, wakes up, he discovers he is the most clever person alive. However, despite the movie’s dystopian premise, reality today feels even harsher. 

Many influencers outearn teachers. Singers and social media stars frequently garner significantly higher salaries and command greater public attention than those involved in academia and research. The market dynamics are such that entertainment skills are often more lucrative than the specialised knowledge required to teach or conduct research (as research costs money, too!). This disparity is evident in salary scales across various industries, where entertainers can command million-dollar deals while educators often struggle to advocate for basic wage increases. Whilst such a disparity in earnings between academics and entertainers has always existed, the increased scale of this discrepancy in recent years illustrates a cultural shift wherein instant gratification has become valued over educational and intellectual contributions. 

Populist politicians are the beneficiaries of the suppression of intellectual life. The fewer critical thinkers or free thinkers there are, the fewer problems arise. Specifically, when intellectual life is suppressed, the public may be less aware and less inclined to protest, leading to reduced advocacy, increased complacency, and weaker public dialogue. This creates a more passive society that is less likely to challenge or even recognize problematic governance.

As a Social Sciences and Humanities student who yearns to take all I can from my scholarship, I feel hopeless and disappointed, considering my ambition to enter academia. I had once dreamed of one day being a professor, being able to research, read, write, and ultimately teach about linguistics, philosophy, classical languages, cinema, aesthetics, romance, the beauty of language, and how excellent films are made on screen. 

A few years ago, before coming to college, I understood the hardship of the minimal wage of being a professor and a teacher. Still, I accepted the reality as long as I could continue to read, write, talk, and teach about my favourite subject. But recently, this dilemma has become more complex and challenging for those who wish to pursue careers in academia; the demand is low, leading to an increasing unemployment rate and a competitive market where professors, tutors, and teachers struggle to survive or get a job with minimal salary and help. Throughout my two years in college, I have met so many young professors who struggle to live academically and virtuously, young scholars who would love to become professors but withdraw to careers in consultancy, banking, and finance; old professors feel comparatively grateful, having been born earlier.

Nevertheless, despite the seemingly inexorable march of anti-intellectualism, I have not lost hope in education.

Universities still offer scholarships to students and funding to scientists and scholars, and opportunities are open to those who would love to pursue their longing for knowledge. Many institutions, professors, and people – like my parents, teachers and peers – continue to encourage the flourishing of education and nurture students’ curiosity. But it is time to think and reflect. We must begin to ask ourselves what we can do to improve the situation. If we stop resolving now, in 500 years, we will be doomed to re-enact the scenes of Idiocracy, spraying our crops with Coca-Cola.