The Intellectual Species

Abstract

The role of the public intellectual is considered in relation to our distinguishing species’ capacity through language as “offline” thinking. The linguistic capacity is linked to our ability to modify the world which makes us the “cultural” and “aesthetic” species, as well as the “historical” species through our constant modifications over time. Our interaction with the products of human culture makes us the “existential” species, and we are the “educational” species by constantly having to adapt to the increasing complexity of our modifications of the world. The development of the social role of the intellectual and its specialization over time resulting in the contemporary social divide between intellectuals and popular culture becomes the foundation for Eco’s unique project as a public intellectual.