The Closing of the American Mind
It’s almost been 20 years since my mother gave me a gift - Allan Bloom’s The Closing of the American Mind.
How do you review a book like this? It can’t be summarized in a few sentences, so I’ll just tell you what it did for me.
It awakened me to the issues. After reading The Closing of the American Mind, I immediately dropped my other studies to focus on philosophy. Plato, Aristotle, John Locke, Rousseau, Voltaire, evil Kant, Sartre, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Bertrand Russell - I studied their words every waking hour for over three years. That was all due to Allan Bloom.
My copy of The Closing of the American Mind has more notes in it, more passages underlined, than any other book I own. Each page is a treasure trove of insight into the Liberal mind.
If I had to choose just one book to recommend to a new thinker, it would this one.
December 10th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
To be honest (i’m a bit embarrassed) I’ve never came across this book before. I’m not a heavy reader, but I used to be and this was something I would have enjoyed in my earlier years in college. If this were written today, I don’t think it would even be published…let alone ever get a NY Times review to make it to #1 best sellers list.
Socialism STARTS in school, even gradeschool, and if they can get you for another 4 years after graduating, the better. I actually dropped out of college with only a few classes left and while regrettable, I think I’m better off for it. (at least for now) I couldn’t stomach anymore liberal bias lectures being shoved down my throat.
December 19th, 2007 at 2:57 am
Honestly, the socialist Liberal humanists deserve credit. Instead of trying to grow their movement via intellectual debate - a hard thing to do when they don’t have any intellectual merit - they just wage a culture war based on popularity in the schools. By converting kids, they guarantee the next generation will be poo.
July 7th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
John
Perhaps you can assist me. I am currently taking a class based on The Closing of the American Mind. To this point, I have never taken a philosophy class and am finding it very difficult to follow Bloom’s opinions. Does he agree?…does he disagree? Is it satisfied or unsatisified?…I am confused! I feel that all I know is that he believes the american university systems have failed their students. is this way off? I am to pick a chapter or subchapter and agree or disgree. I have no clue where to start since I hardly understand what he is trying to say.